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Garnet Run #4
The Rivals of Casper Road
He’s in it to win it until he falls under his neighbor’s spell.
Bram Larkspur’s rugged, sexy looks belie his fear of all things horrifying. But as Casper Road’s newest resident, he’s excited to join the annual Halloween decorating contest. The competition is keen, especially from six-time champion, architect Zachary Glass. But when enigmatic Zachary sparks a prank war, it’s game on – until one sizzling kiss turns these rivals into allies. Now only one thing scares Bram: how quickly he’s losing his heart to Zachary.
Bram Larkspur’s rugged, sexy looks belie his fear of all things horrifying. But as Casper Road’s newest resident, he’s excited to join the annual Halloween decorating contest. The competition is keen, especially from six-time champion, architect Zachary Glass. But when enigmatic Zachary sparks a prank war, it’s game on – until one sizzling kiss turns these rivals into allies. Now only one thing scares Bram: how quickly he’s losing his heart to Zachary.
258 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2022
62 people are currently reading
634 people want to read
About the author
Roan Parrish
37 books2,389 followersRoan Parrish lives in Philadelphia, where she is gradually attempting to write love stories in every genre.
When not writing, she can usually be found cutting her friends’ hair, meandering through whatever city she’s in while listening to torch songs and melodic death metal, or cooking overly elaborate meals. She loves bonfires, winter beaches, minor chord harmonies, and self-tattooing. One time she may or may not have baked a six-layer chocolate cake and then thrown it out the window in a fit of pique.
She is represented by Courtney Miller-Callihan of Handspun Literary Agency.
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When not writing, she can usually be found cutting her friends’ hair, meandering through whatever city she’s in while listening to torch songs and melodic death metal, or cooking overly elaborate meals. She loves bonfires, winter beaches, minor chord harmonies, and self-tattooing. One time she may or may not have baked a six-layer chocolate cake and then thrown it out the window in a fit of pique.
She is represented by Courtney Miller-Callihan of Handspun Literary Agency.
Roan's Newsletter
Roan's Facebook Group
Roan on Twitter
Roan on Instagram
Roan’s website
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October 1, 2024
The Rivals of Casper Road is book four in the Garnet Run series by Roan Parrish. Not only is this the first book I’ve read in this series, it’s my first by this author! Although I do have several on my to read list. It was fine, reading out of order but I do still plan to read the others.
Bram Larkspur is brand new to Garnet Run. He has rented a house on Casper Road and lives with his adorable dog, Hemlock. Bram was hurt terribly by his previous boyfriend and just couldn’t stay in the same town any longer, even though it meant moving away from his family as well. This is the fresh start he needs. He’s a huge man who loves flannel and anything to do with nature. He’s also excited to learn that the residents on his street do a huge Halloween decorating contest every year. He can’t wait to participate. It seems the man who lives across the street from his has been the winner for the last six years.
Zachary Glass has lived on Casper Road for a very long time. Zachary had a rough childhood, never fitting in with his classmates and then with a tragedy in his family that they never recovered from. He is now a talented architect and works from home. He doesn’t interact well with others and status is everything to him, the job title, the respect of a prestigious firm, and always winning the Halloween competition. Then he met his new neighbor, who seemed his opposite in every way. He’s both annoyed and intrigued at the same time. He doesn’t know quite what to feel about him.
What started out as a competition somehow changed into a prank war between Zachary and Bram which helped them to get to know each other in a more relaxed way. They soon learned that they fit well together. But for Zachary, he was just waiting for Bram to lose interest in him because that’s what everyone eventually did. They just seemed to see each other, though. Bram saw the man that Zachary wanted to be, the creative genius that he kept hidden away. And Zachary saw a loving, happy, artistic man in Bram that he respected.
“Bram made him feel wild, untethered, outside the rules. It was dangerous and intoxicating. Unfamiliar.”
They were falling for one another. But both of their futures were uncertain. Bram needs to somehow show Zachary that he is not living his best life, he’s living a safe life that makes him unhappy. Until he figures out who he is and what he needs, will there be any hope for them together?
“Having the blueprint for what you wanted and maybe being disappointed if you couldn’t have it felt better than the muddle of not knowing at all.”
This was such a sweet, fun and even steamy read. I love reading seasonal romances. And I love the cover of this so much. I’ve been wanting to read it for so long and am so glad I finally did. For the Christmas season, I’m going to read the previous book three, The Lights on Knockbridge Lane.
For more about this book and so many others, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carol...
Bram Larkspur is brand new to Garnet Run. He has rented a house on Casper Road and lives with his adorable dog, Hemlock. Bram was hurt terribly by his previous boyfriend and just couldn’t stay in the same town any longer, even though it meant moving away from his family as well. This is the fresh start he needs. He’s a huge man who loves flannel and anything to do with nature. He’s also excited to learn that the residents on his street do a huge Halloween decorating contest every year. He can’t wait to participate. It seems the man who lives across the street from his has been the winner for the last six years.
Zachary Glass has lived on Casper Road for a very long time. Zachary had a rough childhood, never fitting in with his classmates and then with a tragedy in his family that they never recovered from. He is now a talented architect and works from home. He doesn’t interact well with others and status is everything to him, the job title, the respect of a prestigious firm, and always winning the Halloween competition. Then he met his new neighbor, who seemed his opposite in every way. He’s both annoyed and intrigued at the same time. He doesn’t know quite what to feel about him.
What started out as a competition somehow changed into a prank war between Zachary and Bram which helped them to get to know each other in a more relaxed way. They soon learned that they fit well together. But for Zachary, he was just waiting for Bram to lose interest in him because that’s what everyone eventually did. They just seemed to see each other, though. Bram saw the man that Zachary wanted to be, the creative genius that he kept hidden away. And Zachary saw a loving, happy, artistic man in Bram that he respected.
“Bram made him feel wild, untethered, outside the rules. It was dangerous and intoxicating. Unfamiliar.”
They were falling for one another. But both of their futures were uncertain. Bram needs to somehow show Zachary that he is not living his best life, he’s living a safe life that makes him unhappy. Until he figures out who he is and what he needs, will there be any hope for them together?
“Having the blueprint for what you wanted and maybe being disappointed if you couldn’t have it felt better than the muddle of not knowing at all.”
This was such a sweet, fun and even steamy read. I love reading seasonal romances. And I love the cover of this so much. I’ve been wanting to read it for so long and am so glad I finally did. For the Christmas season, I’m going to read the previous book three, The Lights on Knockbridge Lane.
For more about this book and so many others, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carol...
October 11, 2022
I usually like Roan Parrish but this was by far my least favorite in her Garnet Run series. It felt boring and bland, despite the Halloween theme, and I struggled the whole way through.
Garnet Run is a charming series of books that takes place in a queer-friendly Wyoming town. The Rivals of Casper Road is the 4th in the series, though they can all be read as stand-alones.
Though this book seems like it would be interesting (Jewish MC who loves horror movies with a tragic family past paired with a nature-y wood carver MC who likes making houses for cats), it all felt very surface level. I knew I *should* find these two to be unique, quirky characters, but instead they had a distinct lack of chemistry and a plot I couldn't get into.
I honestly found the Halloween decorating contest only minimally interesting, and it really wasn't enough to hold my attention. Combine that with a prank war the grated on my nerves, and I wasn't a happy camper. It was even hard to read the sex scenes, I found this couple to be so cringy together. Plus, I think Zachary was supposed to come across as an atypical MC, but his character development just didn't click into a cohesive character for me.
Yes, I know I seem like I'm trashing the story, but it just wasn't my speed. No, it isn't a horribly written book, it just didn't resonate with me, especially from a romance perspective. I have enjoyed this series so far, so I'm hoping the next Garnet Run book is an improvement. I hope...
*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*
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Garnet Run is a charming series of books that takes place in a queer-friendly Wyoming town. The Rivals of Casper Road is the 4th in the series, though they can all be read as stand-alones.
Though this book seems like it would be interesting (Jewish MC who loves horror movies with a tragic family past paired with a nature-y wood carver MC who likes making houses for cats), it all felt very surface level. I knew I *should* find these two to be unique, quirky characters, but instead they had a distinct lack of chemistry and a plot I couldn't get into.
I honestly found the Halloween decorating contest only minimally interesting, and it really wasn't enough to hold my attention. Combine that with a prank war the grated on my nerves, and I wasn't a happy camper. It was even hard to read the sex scenes, I found this couple to be so cringy together. Plus, I think Zachary was supposed to come across as an atypical MC, but his character development just didn't click into a cohesive character for me.
Yes, I know I seem like I'm trashing the story, but it just wasn't my speed. No, it isn't a horribly written book, it just didn't resonate with me, especially from a romance perspective. I have enjoyed this series so far, so I'm hoping the next Garnet Run book is an improvement. I hope...
*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*
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September 30, 2022
This is a MM Romance, and this is the fourth book in the Garnet Run series. I have not read the other books in this series, but I do think that you can read this book as a standalone without any problems. I loved the characters in this book, and I think one of them had something like Autism going on. I loved that this book had an Adult with social issues in it. I did feel at times this book's pacing was a little too slow, but there were so many cute and fun moments I really did not care. I wish the mystery about one of the main characters sister was solved before the ending because I really wanted to know what happened. I think that it is the mystery lover in me that hates a mystery not being solved in a book. I really loved all the Halloween stuff in this book. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Harlequin Special Edition) or author (Roan Parrish) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.
October 1, 2022
Unfortunately this didn't work for me, 2.5 rounded up because I gave book 2 in this series 2 stars and I liked this one more (this isn't saying much). Seeing the couple from book 2 in this one annoyed me... Here, we have Bram who found his boyfriend and best friend had been cheating on him for months so he decides to move away. This would have been fine BUT he is very close to his family so moving away from them seemed strange. Plus, he does not have a job and is not looking for one when he comes from a family who does not have that much money (they are self-sufficient so they don't have typical jobs either). His personality was elusive to me, he is nice to others and likes carving things that's about it, which was disappointing. Coming from the a-typical family he came from it felt ill-defined. Then we have Zachary who has a heavy backstory (won't spoil it) and lacks social skills. I liked him more than Bram. He was better defined. The relationship was built weirdly. They are neighbours but are "rivals" because of a decoration competition. Zachary fierce love for it felt a bit OTT and the "prank war" that ensues felt forced to me. Then they sleep together once and they were basically together. I felt I had missed something when their time together was then summarized. There was conflict but it didn't convince me and I was bored by the last 40p and just wanted it to end. I hope Roan moves on to better things soon because this series wasn't it...
July 23, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and HARLEQUIN - Romance for providing a free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review
===
2.5 rounded down
I really love this author, but I've not had the best luck with this newest series of hers, and I have to say that this latest one was similarly lackluster.
This book and the last one in particular feel like a bit of a departure from the rest of the series with a specific focus on holidays--in this case Halloween--which seems in line with the transfer of this series from Carina to Harlequin. Not sure what it says that I think these two books in particular are weaker than the first two, particularly when I didn't love the first two as much as I generally love Roan's books.
I'm fairly neutral on Halloween and don't particularly feel the need for books/content surrounding the holiday, and though I appreciated the more unique twist on a "holiday" trope, I did find myself wanting a bit more generic ~fall vibes~ content. There's a haunted hay ride moment, but since I'm not particularly obsessed with the Halloween holiday, I'd have preferred if there had at least been more of an autumnal atmosphere throughout the book--leaves changing and cozy sweaters and cups of cider etc--and that was oddly lacking for a book centered around an autumnal-set holiday. Basically, there was an odd lack of atmosphere in this book, which seemed to particularly need it.
As with the last book, this one features a quirky character and the man with a heart of gold who loves him. Zachary loves horror movies and has no social skills. Bram enjoys whittling, is recovering from a broken heart, and has no discernible source of substantial enough income to live as comfortably as he seems to. The characters were sweet enough, but I just... didn't feel any chemistry at all. The smut almost felt awkward to me because I just didn't feel any desire to read about these two having sex. The whole thing just felt very wholesome and bland and honestly kind of boring. Even the writing quality felt different from what I've come to expect from this author--if I'd read this blind, I honestly would not have believed this had been written by Roan. There was nothing offensive here, but there's absolutely no spark, either. I'm desperately hoping this is the last in the series and that Roan moves on to something else, because it's just really not working with me and seems to be getting worse. :/
===
2.5 rounded down
I really love this author, but I've not had the best luck with this newest series of hers, and I have to say that this latest one was similarly lackluster.
This book and the last one in particular feel like a bit of a departure from the rest of the series with a specific focus on holidays--in this case Halloween--which seems in line with the transfer of this series from Carina to Harlequin. Not sure what it says that I think these two books in particular are weaker than the first two, particularly when I didn't love the first two as much as I generally love Roan's books.
I'm fairly neutral on Halloween and don't particularly feel the need for books/content surrounding the holiday, and though I appreciated the more unique twist on a "holiday" trope, I did find myself wanting a bit more generic ~fall vibes~ content. There's a haunted hay ride moment, but since I'm not particularly obsessed with the Halloween holiday, I'd have preferred if there had at least been more of an autumnal atmosphere throughout the book--leaves changing and cozy sweaters and cups of cider etc--and that was oddly lacking for a book centered around an autumnal-set holiday. Basically, there was an odd lack of atmosphere in this book, which seemed to particularly need it.
As with the last book, this one features a quirky character and the man with a heart of gold who loves him. Zachary loves horror movies and has no social skills. Bram enjoys whittling, is recovering from a broken heart, and has no discernible source of substantial enough income to live as comfortably as he seems to. The characters were sweet enough, but I just... didn't feel any chemistry at all. The smut almost felt awkward to me because I just didn't feel any desire to read about these two having sex. The whole thing just felt very wholesome and bland and honestly kind of boring. Even the writing quality felt different from what I've come to expect from this author--if I'd read this blind, I honestly would not have believed this had been written by Roan. There was nothing offensive here, but there's absolutely no spark, either. I'm desperately hoping this is the last in the series and that Roan moves on to something else, because it's just really not working with me and seems to be getting worse. :/
October 1, 2022
3 Stars
I wanted to like this book more but there was a whole lot of nonsense and not nearly enough of the promised Halloween-y romance. The book was part dissertation on architectural theory, part introspective essay on getting over a breakup, part meddling family, part low stakes prank war, part trauma recovery, part Halloween decorating contest, part cameos from all the queers of Garnet Run and tiny part romance I guess. For such a short book I am kind of impressed how much was shoved in.
So yeah while it was competently written and had the start of some of the right vibes there was too much other stuff going on for me to fully enjoy it. Particularly the past trauma for the sad boy main character Zachary that was a bit much. So was all the inner monologuing on architecture I had enough of it in architecture school I don't need that crap in my romance books too! Give me more Halloween and actual romance instead, please!
I received an ARC copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
I wanted to like this book more but there was a whole lot of nonsense and not nearly enough of the promised Halloween-y romance. The book was part dissertation on architectural theory, part introspective essay on getting over a breakup, part meddling family, part low stakes prank war, part trauma recovery, part Halloween decorating contest, part cameos from all the queers of Garnet Run and tiny part romance I guess. For such a short book I am kind of impressed how much was shoved in.
So yeah while it was competently written and had the start of some of the right vibes there was too much other stuff going on for me to fully enjoy it. Particularly the past trauma for the sad boy main character Zachary that was a bit much. So was all the inner monologuing on architecture I had enough of it in architecture school I don't need that crap in my romance books too! Give me more Halloween and actual romance instead, please!
I received an ARC copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
December 29, 2022
This was a reread. I love this author and have a great deal of fondness for this entire series. Roan Parrish takes "care" of her characters. She knows that life isn't always fair, and differences often take place in any relationship, gay or straight...she allows that to happen in her stories...but only for a short time. Her "people" always have a happy ending and they allow us readers to experience all their joys and fun times. Bram Larkspur was a beautiful character. Raised by what would have at one time been considered a "hippy" family...he had been taught to value life and everything it brought including the people he encountered. Zackary Glass, Brams's neighbor, had won the Halloween decoration contest 6 years in a row and saw no reason why it shouldn't easily be seven. When his neighbor Zachary, started playing harmless, "Halloween pranks" on Bram's Halloween decorations, Bram took it good naturally and played right back. Soon they discovered they should "play" together. It was a beautiful, warm, engaging story. Zachary and Bram helped almost everyone they came in contact with, including some homeless cats. The Rivals of Casper Road is an M/M romance, and it does contain everything the genera is known for, but it is on the milder side and doesn't overrun the goodness of the story.
October 4, 2022
Roan Parrish writes such lovely hurt/comfort romances! All the stories of the Garnet Run series involve slightly damaged characters finding love and blossoming into strong, happy couples. You can read each of the novels as standalones, but folks from earlier books do play a small part in the subsequent stories. I hope this is not the last we hear from the colorful and interesting people who live in Garnet Run.
thank you to Harlequin Special Edition, via NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of The Rivals of Casper Road, all opinions are my own
thank you to Harlequin Special Edition, via NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of The Rivals of Casper Road, all opinions are my own
September 30, 2022
liked it more than book 2, but less than book 1. tbh i haven’t really vibed with this series on the same level as this author’s other books (aside from book 3), but if you’re looking for a casual holiday read, don’t be afraid to give it a shot! 👻🎃
September 24, 2022
[I received a digital arc for an honest review]
The Rivals of Casper Road is the fourth stand alone in the Garnet Run series by Roan Parrish. An opposites attract romance between horror fan Zachary Glass and his new easily spooked neighbor.
Bram had his heartbroken causing him to move away from his home 6 months ago and is starting fresh in Garnet Run, just him and his canine companion. With time on his hands and being new to the area, he decides to join his street's annual Halloween decorating contest even though he's not much for horror. The winner 6 years running is his neighbor across the street Zachary, who is a hardcore horror fan. He isn't thrilled to have competition this year, especially a rival who creates disorder in his daily routine. When Bram makes sure their paths continually cross, they find themselves in a prank war and a friendship starts to form. A friendship that brings them both outside their comfort zones. But will Bram have his heartbroken again when Zachary has to choose between sticking to his plans or taking a chance on a future together.
Bram made him feel wild, untethered, outside the rules. It was dangerous and intoxicating. Unfamiliar. And a little bit scary.
Bram is an absolute sweetheart who wears his heart on his sleeve. His best friend is his canine companion and he has a close relationship with his family. He's an instantly likeable guy because his joy and care is so genuine. Then we have Zachary who comes off as rude and rigid but his backstory of what he went through that made him the way he is now was heartbreaking. When we learn about why he feels unlovable and why he sticks to his routines, you just want to wrap him in a big hug. I did appreciate his love for horror because I am right along with him in regard to the genre. I thought it was sweet that Bram tried his hardest to give scary things a chance, even if he spooked very easily. Their relationship struggles with communication at times especially from Zachary's side, but it's not intentional. The two have a slow burn and relatively low steam romance with only a few open door intimate scenes.
Bram's lips were soft, and he kissed with such enthusiasm, as if he were savoring every single sensation.
I love the small town that Roan Parrish has created, it gives me the warm and fuzzies. This is filled with friendly faces from the prior books in the series, and every time one popped up I got a smile on my face. There's also a mention of one of them working on a graphic novel of a certain book from the series, and I really hope that actually becomes a reality !
Overall, The Rivals of Casper Road by Roan Parrish is a relatively low steam fall romance filled with family video calls, a spooky hayride, pumpkin carving, chainsaw carvings and doing what will truly make you happy.
Rep : Gay MCs, Jewish MC
The Rivals of Casper Road is the fourth stand alone in the Garnet Run series by Roan Parrish. An opposites attract romance between horror fan Zachary Glass and his new easily spooked neighbor.
Bram had his heartbroken causing him to move away from his home 6 months ago and is starting fresh in Garnet Run, just him and his canine companion. With time on his hands and being new to the area, he decides to join his street's annual Halloween decorating contest even though he's not much for horror. The winner 6 years running is his neighbor across the street Zachary, who is a hardcore horror fan. He isn't thrilled to have competition this year, especially a rival who creates disorder in his daily routine. When Bram makes sure their paths continually cross, they find themselves in a prank war and a friendship starts to form. A friendship that brings them both outside their comfort zones. But will Bram have his heartbroken again when Zachary has to choose between sticking to his plans or taking a chance on a future together.
Bram made him feel wild, untethered, outside the rules. It was dangerous and intoxicating. Unfamiliar. And a little bit scary.
Bram is an absolute sweetheart who wears his heart on his sleeve. His best friend is his canine companion and he has a close relationship with his family. He's an instantly likeable guy because his joy and care is so genuine. Then we have Zachary who comes off as rude and rigid but his backstory of what he went through that made him the way he is now was heartbreaking. When we learn about why he feels unlovable and why he sticks to his routines, you just want to wrap him in a big hug. I did appreciate his love for horror because I am right along with him in regard to the genre. I thought it was sweet that Bram tried his hardest to give scary things a chance, even if he spooked very easily. Their relationship struggles with communication at times especially from Zachary's side, but it's not intentional. The two have a slow burn and relatively low steam romance with only a few open door intimate scenes.
Bram's lips were soft, and he kissed with such enthusiasm, as if he were savoring every single sensation.
I love the small town that Roan Parrish has created, it gives me the warm and fuzzies. This is filled with friendly faces from the prior books in the series, and every time one popped up I got a smile on my face. There's also a mention of one of them working on a graphic novel of a certain book from the series, and I really hope that actually becomes a reality !
Overall, The Rivals of Casper Road by Roan Parrish is a relatively low steam fall romance filled with family video calls, a spooky hayride, pumpkin carving, chainsaw carvings and doing what will truly make you happy.
Rep : Gay MCs, Jewish MC
September 27, 2022
I want to first thank NetGalley and Roan Parrish for giving me an advance copy of this book for my honest review.
When I first was introduced to Zachery I have to admit I had my reservations about what I was about to read. In the beginning the story had a strange feel for me. At one point they watched the movie, “Let the Right One in.” I saw that movie at the theater and it gave me that same strange feeling. As I got to know Zachery and his background I grew to love him.
I’ve said in previous reviews of Roan’s novels that she can make you love the most unlovable characters. I certainly grew to love Zachery. Bram was easy to love from the very beginning.
This book left me feeling so happy. It was the story of two lost souls finding their forever with each other. I found myself crying happy tears several times.
When I first was introduced to Zachery I have to admit I had my reservations about what I was about to read. In the beginning the story had a strange feel for me. At one point they watched the movie, “Let the Right One in.” I saw that movie at the theater and it gave me that same strange feeling. As I got to know Zachery and his background I grew to love him.
I’ve said in previous reviews of Roan’s novels that she can make you love the most unlovable characters. I certainly grew to love Zachery. Bram was easy to love from the very beginning.
This book left me feeling so happy. It was the story of two lost souls finding their forever with each other. I found myself crying happy tears several times.
February 17, 2023
Rounding up from 3.75 stars. The Rivals of Casper Road was a fun light read, I still prefer some of the author's earlier work and this in line with what I was expecting based on the previous book in this series. The book didn't start off very strong for me - a lot of opening exposition - but it picked up in the middle and then I didn't want to put it down. I liked the connection between the two main characters and the way they communicated with each other and didn't need each other but made each other better.
December 7, 2022
Probably my least favorite of the series. I liked both Bram and Zachary, and their backstories, and I liked them as an opposites attract couple, but I felt the romance fell a little flat overall. There were also a few things that were setup and just left unfinished, for example extending the prank war to the neighbors and something else I'll mention in a spoiler below.
The story ended abruptly even though the couple were in a good place.
The story ended abruptly even though the couple were in a good place.
October 21, 2022
If you like Hallmark Christmas movies, then you'll definitely enjoy this Harlequin Halloween book! It has a lot of the simple and sweet vibes typical of holiday stories, but with a bit more steam. The plot and dialogue are easy to follow with likable characters in a picturesque setting. While not necessarily deep or memorable, it's a great read if you're not into the spookier side of Halloween but still want a story that fits the season!
October 18, 2022
Trigger Warnings: Cursing, blood, missing sibling, sex, past cheating, trauma, grief
Representation: Jewish, Gay
The Rivals of Casper Road is the fourth installment in the Garnet Run series. Bram in new to town and has moved in across the street from Zachary Glass. Zachary is the six-time winner of the block’s Halloween decorating contest and does not plan to miss out on year seven. Zachary accidentally sparks a prank war with Bram but soon enough these rivals become friends and possibly more?
This finished copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This book is amazing! It’s an easy read and can be read as a standalone. The story is perfect for a cozy fall day after doing some pumpkin picking!
I really loved both of these characters! I loved how the author normalized Zachary having some social issues without it become the center of his story. I thought his backstory was interesting though. I liked the nuance and trauma that his sister brought but it was also a little weird and felt kind of out of place at times. I thought Bram was a lot of fun and I loved his supportive family! I also loved how friendly he is and I loved the warm welcome he received from the town! Their love story is so quaint and the book has some great steam!
Representation: Jewish, Gay
The Rivals of Casper Road is the fourth installment in the Garnet Run series. Bram in new to town and has moved in across the street from Zachary Glass. Zachary is the six-time winner of the block’s Halloween decorating contest and does not plan to miss out on year seven. Zachary accidentally sparks a prank war with Bram but soon enough these rivals become friends and possibly more?
This finished copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This book is amazing! It’s an easy read and can be read as a standalone. The story is perfect for a cozy fall day after doing some pumpkin picking!
I really loved both of these characters! I loved how the author normalized Zachary having some social issues without it become the center of his story. I thought his backstory was interesting though. I liked the nuance and trauma that his sister brought but it was also a little weird and felt kind of out of place at times. I thought Bram was a lot of fun and I loved his supportive family! I also loved how friendly he is and I loved the warm welcome he received from the town! Their love story is so quaint and the book has some great steam!
September 21, 2022
Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin for the e-ARC!
This book was the perfect cozy fall vibes that I would like out of all of my reads at the moment. I loved everything about the way Zachary and his regimented routine came to find himself almost unexpectedly playing and relaxing with Bram. I loved the prank war. I love the way the two of them had fun falling in love. And mostly, I loved the way I really got to feel this romance. I feel like I know the characters. I feel like I know the community. I feel like I want Garnet Run to be a real actual place that I could go live. It's honestly gotten increasingly more rare for me to increase my rating as time goes by rather than decrease it and that's partially because it's not often that books have been really lingering in my mind lately. But this book achieved that and more and I cannot wait until it's officially out so everyone else can experience this joy and coziness alongside me.
This book was the perfect cozy fall vibes that I would like out of all of my reads at the moment. I loved everything about the way Zachary and his regimented routine came to find himself almost unexpectedly playing and relaxing with Bram. I loved the prank war. I love the way the two of them had fun falling in love. And mostly, I loved the way I really got to feel this romance. I feel like I know the characters. I feel like I know the community. I feel like I want Garnet Run to be a real actual place that I could go live. It's honestly gotten increasingly more rare for me to increase my rating as time goes by rather than decrease it and that's partially because it's not often that books have been really lingering in my mind lately. But this book achieved that and more and I cannot wait until it's officially out so everyone else can experience this joy and coziness alongside me.
September 28, 2022
A Joyfully Jay review.
4.25 stars
This is the fourth book set in Parrish’s fictional town of Garnet Run, and it works completely fine as a standalone. I haven’t read any of the others, though it was clear from the secondary characters whose stories have come before. But I wasn’t lost or confused, so I can confidently say you could start here if you wish.
This is a story about opposites attracting, and Parrish makes it work. Bram was raised in a carefree way, has a large and loving family, and though he was hurt immeasurably by people he trusted, he still wants to see the good in everyone.
What I really liked about these two men was how they helped each other step outside of their comfort zones. They aren’t exactly enemies to start—the title calling them rivals fits best—but they quickly develop a friendship that eases into something more. The attraction is there from the start, but these two men are friends first.
Read Kris’ review in its entirety here.
4.25 stars
This is the fourth book set in Parrish’s fictional town of Garnet Run, and it works completely fine as a standalone. I haven’t read any of the others, though it was clear from the secondary characters whose stories have come before. But I wasn’t lost or confused, so I can confidently say you could start here if you wish.
This is a story about opposites attracting, and Parrish makes it work. Bram was raised in a carefree way, has a large and loving family, and though he was hurt immeasurably by people he trusted, he still wants to see the good in everyone.
What I really liked about these two men was how they helped each other step outside of their comfort zones. They aren’t exactly enemies to start—the title calling them rivals fits best—but they quickly develop a friendship that eases into something more. The attraction is there from the start, but these two men are friends first.
Read Kris’ review in its entirety here.
September 23, 2022
The Rivals of Casper Road is a fun, Queer, small town romance set during the Halloween season. Personally-I love that about it. In a world where Christmas romances begin releasing in August, it’s nice to have something different and especially if you’re looking for autumnal, seasonal romances-Roan Parrish does a good job of plopping you right smack dab in the middle of the season.
I thought Bram & Zachary’s rivals to lovers romance was fun and sweet. Zachary’s backstory hurt my heart but with my recent slight infatuation with true crime (specially people who just vanish from the face of the earth) I really appreciated the inclusion of that plot line in the book. I love how he thought of his sister and how Roan explored how her disappearance affected the relationship between him and his Mother.
It was so nice to return to Garnet Run and see old faces. I think this was a really cool conclusion to the series.
I thought Bram & Zachary’s rivals to lovers romance was fun and sweet. Zachary’s backstory hurt my heart but with my recent slight infatuation with true crime (specially people who just vanish from the face of the earth) I really appreciated the inclusion of that plot line in the book. I love how he thought of his sister and how Roan explored how her disappearance affected the relationship between him and his Mother.
It was so nice to return to Garnet Run and see old faces. I think this was a really cool conclusion to the series.
August 6, 2023
I've given this an A for narration and a B- for content at AudioGals.
Book four in Roan Parrish’s Garnet Run series, The Rivals of Casper Road is a sweet, charming and superbly narrated opposites-attract romance featuring two neighbours whose rivalry in the local Halloween Decorating Contest engenders a prank-war and leads to love.
Bramble Larkspur left Olympia, Washington after his boyfriend and former best friend betrayed him in the worst way, leaving him “a broken person who had to get away in order to keep things together.” He – accompanied by his yellow Labrador, Hemlock - has just moved to 667 Casper Road in Garnet Run, and on his first morning there, he takes an early morning walk around the neighbourhood and then returns to his new home and takes a seat on the porch to watch Casper Road wake up. He sits there quietly whittling (something he’s done since he was ten), and it’s not long before his new neighbours are saying hello and stopping to chat. The subject of the annual Halloween Decorating Competition quickly comes up, and Bram thinks it sounds like fun. He’s just asked when he should get started, when a man emerges from the house diagonally opposite (which is, of course, number 666!) - a very striking man dressed in a suit and tie even though it’s a Saturday – who comes over and introduces himself as Zachary Glass.
Zachary, an architect, has won the Decorating Competition for the last six years, and is determined to win again this year, despite the introduction of this new variable and his dog. But it doesn’t matter – he knows his designs far surpass anything else the other inhabitants of Casper Road can come up with; they treat it as a bit of fun and usually put up shop-bought decorations, whereas he takes it very seriously, selecting a theme each year and designing a unique installation. This year, he’s going with “Ghost Ship”, inspired by his friend Wes’ experiments with bioluminescence (Knockbridge Lane).
Rather like the previous book, this story features one quirky character with social anxiety and self-esteem issues and a sunny-natured one who likes him exactly as he is. Zachary lives a very routine-oriented life and is uncomfortable in social situations; growing up poor, gay and Jewish, he was bullied a lot when he was younger, and a tragedy when he was thirteen destroyed his family. By contrast, Bram comes from a large and loving family with parents who always encouraged their kids and made sure they never doubted their love for them, and he misses them terribly, this being the first time he’s ever lived away from them.
Generous, open-hearted Bram and creative, thoughtful Zachary are easy to like and their romance is kinda sweet (bonding over designing shelters for stray cats is so cute!), but their chemistry is lukewarm and their ‘rivalry’ just – isn’t. The inciting incident is really spiteful, to be honest, and the pranks are childish at best and ill-advised at worst. And they have so little in common – Zachary isn’t a fan of having pets and Bram has a dog; Zachary eats because he has to and isn’t at all interested in what he eats and Bram likes to cook; Zachary loves horror movies and Bram has never seen one, mostly because he gets scared easily and just doesn’t see the attraction. That’s fine, each to his own, but having Bram run away from a kids’ Halloween ride because he’s scared when a few people jump up and yell “boo!” just makes him look like an idiot. Opposites attract is one thing, but they usually discover they have things in common beneath the surface; these two just don’t. Plus, given that Bram is still reeling from being horribly betrayed by the two most important people in his life, he does fall for and come to trust Zachary very quickly. In fact, both men have experienced emotional trauma in their lives, but this isn’t explored beyond the superficial – and I had to wonder how Bram could afford to live as comfortably as he appears to when he has no discernible source of income!
I enjoyed catching up with the couples from the earlier books and meeting Bram’s boisterous and supportive family; the author has created a real sense of community and given a nice Autumnal feel to the story, but I have to be honest and say that I found the overall premise really difficult to relate to. Halloween just isn’t a thing here in the UK (despite attempts by retailers over the last couple of decades to push it) so I found it difficult to credit the emphasis placed on the decorating competition because the idea is so completely alien to me. (I have similar problems with the same theme in Christmas stories.).
I suspect I enjoyed the book to the extent I did because of the narration. It’s no secret that Greg Boudreaux could read me the phone book and I’d listen to it; fortunately, this is more engaging than the phone book! The performance is well-paced, clearly differentiated and skilfully acted, and the two leads are superbly characterised with clearly defined personalities. Bram’s warmth and geniality are there in the slight huskiness of his tone and the almost perpetual smile in his voice, while Zachary’s deeper pitch and his clipped, precise speech works well to reflect his more controlled and uptight nature. Mr. Boudreaux fleshes out their emotional connection strongly, and is especially good in the later, emotionally fraught scenes with Zachary and his mother. The Garnet Run series has had three narrators – Mr. Boudreaux narrates books two and four; James Cavendish and Michael Dean the others – and from what I remember, Rye and Charlie are portrayed consistently from Best Laid Plans. All the secondary characterisations are nicely judged, and the performance as a whole really breathes life into the story and takes it up a notch.
I’m a fan of Roan Parrish’s work, but like Knockbridge Lane, The Rivals of Casper Road has a very different feel to it that I can’t help but suspect is due to the move to the Harlequin Special Edition imprint; it’s less… edgy and more typically ‘Harlequin’ – wholesome, low-angst and inoffensive. And although the imprint’s guidelines say heat levels can go from “subtle to sizzling”, the sex scenes here feel uncomfortably ‘soft-focus’ and I’d honestly have been happy had they not been there at all.
I’ve said quite a few negative things in this review, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t things to like here, and I think if you know what you’re getting before you start, and you’re actively looking for what this book delivers, then you’ll enjoy it. I found it to be a bit of a mixed bag, but the characters are likeable, the romance is cute and the superb narration carries the day.
This review originally appeared at AudioGals.
Book four in Roan Parrish’s Garnet Run series, The Rivals of Casper Road is a sweet, charming and superbly narrated opposites-attract romance featuring two neighbours whose rivalry in the local Halloween Decorating Contest engenders a prank-war and leads to love.
Bramble Larkspur left Olympia, Washington after his boyfriend and former best friend betrayed him in the worst way, leaving him “a broken person who had to get away in order to keep things together.” He – accompanied by his yellow Labrador, Hemlock - has just moved to 667 Casper Road in Garnet Run, and on his first morning there, he takes an early morning walk around the neighbourhood and then returns to his new home and takes a seat on the porch to watch Casper Road wake up. He sits there quietly whittling (something he’s done since he was ten), and it’s not long before his new neighbours are saying hello and stopping to chat. The subject of the annual Halloween Decorating Competition quickly comes up, and Bram thinks it sounds like fun. He’s just asked when he should get started, when a man emerges from the house diagonally opposite (which is, of course, number 666!) - a very striking man dressed in a suit and tie even though it’s a Saturday – who comes over and introduces himself as Zachary Glass.
Zachary, an architect, has won the Decorating Competition for the last six years, and is determined to win again this year, despite the introduction of this new variable and his dog. But it doesn’t matter – he knows his designs far surpass anything else the other inhabitants of Casper Road can come up with; they treat it as a bit of fun and usually put up shop-bought decorations, whereas he takes it very seriously, selecting a theme each year and designing a unique installation. This year, he’s going with “Ghost Ship”, inspired by his friend Wes’ experiments with bioluminescence (Knockbridge Lane).
Rather like the previous book, this story features one quirky character with social anxiety and self-esteem issues and a sunny-natured one who likes him exactly as he is. Zachary lives a very routine-oriented life and is uncomfortable in social situations; growing up poor, gay and Jewish, he was bullied a lot when he was younger, and a tragedy when he was thirteen destroyed his family. By contrast, Bram comes from a large and loving family with parents who always encouraged their kids and made sure they never doubted their love for them, and he misses them terribly, this being the first time he’s ever lived away from them.
Generous, open-hearted Bram and creative, thoughtful Zachary are easy to like and their romance is kinda sweet (bonding over designing shelters for stray cats is so cute!), but their chemistry is lukewarm and their ‘rivalry’ just – isn’t. The inciting incident is really spiteful, to be honest, and the pranks are childish at best and ill-advised at worst. And they have so little in common – Zachary isn’t a fan of having pets and Bram has a dog; Zachary eats because he has to and isn’t at all interested in what he eats and Bram likes to cook; Zachary loves horror movies and Bram has never seen one, mostly because he gets scared easily and just doesn’t see the attraction. That’s fine, each to his own, but having Bram run away from a kids’ Halloween ride because he’s scared when a few people jump up and yell “boo!” just makes him look like an idiot. Opposites attract is one thing, but they usually discover they have things in common beneath the surface; these two just don’t. Plus, given that Bram is still reeling from being horribly betrayed by the two most important people in his life, he does fall for and come to trust Zachary very quickly. In fact, both men have experienced emotional trauma in their lives, but this isn’t explored beyond the superficial – and I had to wonder how Bram could afford to live as comfortably as he appears to when he has no discernible source of income!
I enjoyed catching up with the couples from the earlier books and meeting Bram’s boisterous and supportive family; the author has created a real sense of community and given a nice Autumnal feel to the story, but I have to be honest and say that I found the overall premise really difficult to relate to. Halloween just isn’t a thing here in the UK (despite attempts by retailers over the last couple of decades to push it) so I found it difficult to credit the emphasis placed on the decorating competition because the idea is so completely alien to me. (I have similar problems with the same theme in Christmas stories.).
I suspect I enjoyed the book to the extent I did because of the narration. It’s no secret that Greg Boudreaux could read me the phone book and I’d listen to it; fortunately, this is more engaging than the phone book! The performance is well-paced, clearly differentiated and skilfully acted, and the two leads are superbly characterised with clearly defined personalities. Bram’s warmth and geniality are there in the slight huskiness of his tone and the almost perpetual smile in his voice, while Zachary’s deeper pitch and his clipped, precise speech works well to reflect his more controlled and uptight nature. Mr. Boudreaux fleshes out their emotional connection strongly, and is especially good in the later, emotionally fraught scenes with Zachary and his mother. The Garnet Run series has had three narrators – Mr. Boudreaux narrates books two and four; James Cavendish and Michael Dean the others – and from what I remember, Rye and Charlie are portrayed consistently from Best Laid Plans. All the secondary characterisations are nicely judged, and the performance as a whole really breathes life into the story and takes it up a notch.
I’m a fan of Roan Parrish’s work, but like Knockbridge Lane, The Rivals of Casper Road has a very different feel to it that I can’t help but suspect is due to the move to the Harlequin Special Edition imprint; it’s less… edgy and more typically ‘Harlequin’ – wholesome, low-angst and inoffensive. And although the imprint’s guidelines say heat levels can go from “subtle to sizzling”, the sex scenes here feel uncomfortably ‘soft-focus’ and I’d honestly have been happy had they not been there at all.
I’ve said quite a few negative things in this review, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t things to like here, and I think if you know what you’re getting before you start, and you’re actively looking for what this book delivers, then you’ll enjoy it. I found it to be a bit of a mixed bag, but the characters are likeable, the romance is cute and the superb narration carries the day.
This review originally appeared at AudioGals.
September 22, 2022
*Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin for allowing me to read this ARC edition in exchange for an honest review.*
If I had to describe this book in one word, it would be “bland”. It started off rather dull and just didn’t improve. I’m not saying I hated this book but I also didn’t really enjoy it and there were some…issues. This is the first book of Roan Parrish’s that I’ve read. I tried reading Riven (which has a little Easter Egg mention in this book), and just couldn’t get into it. So, I wasn’t sure I’d care for this one anyway, but I decided to give it a shot. From my running notes with elaboration:
There is an inconsistent speech and dialog pattern to each of the main characters. I noticed this almost immediately, particularly with Zachary. He is also, apparently, one of those annoying people who will make the automatic assumption that an “odd” name is a nickname and correct for what he thinks their “proper” name is (In this case, Bram is Abraham, which it is not –it’s Bramble, which…okay, I’m not even going to go there). In his defense, Zachary does know immediately that this was kind of an asshole move, but…I was still annoyed as a person who has this done to them regularly.
On page 22, I note that there is already a lot of “vaguebook”-ese here. Rather than just laying things out, its all being hidden for…later? It doesn’t add drama, it just ends up being annoying.
Bram makes a joke in reference to the virgin survivor horror trope, but it isn’t clear that it is a joke?
This was also around the time when I started questioning whether Zachary is neurodivergent. Like, that doesn’t need to spelled out, but that was the vibe I was getting, and I feel like if he WAS that was a conversation that they should have had in trying to understand one another.
I have the note: “Decapitation works for all monsters, actually”. You’re severing the spinal cord. It’s not like a vampire can just re-attach its head. Please go watch some Buffy or something.
I literally gasped out loud and said “WHAT THE FUCK” to Zachary dumping the paint on the dragon. Is he a CHILD with no impulse control? It made absolutely NO SENSE to me that he would do that, even if he was mad, because…he is a very controlled person in ALL of his actions. The ONLY thing it did was make Bram seem naïve, taking it as a “prank”. I wanted to pat him on the head and explain to him what a prank is. (And I have no patience for pranks; I think they are a stupid waste of time and if they people who pulled them spent nearly as much time and brainpower on real issues, we could cure cancer). So, the prank war: dumb, dumb, dumb.
The Glitter Bomb in the mailbox also made me mad. It’s a federal crime to compromise a mailbox. Period. This was not a “fun joke”. It was criminal.
Chapter 12 contained what had to be the absolute dumbest sex scene I have ever read in all my years of romance reading (…which, we won’t talk about how long that’s been, but a majority of my life). They didn’t even get partly naked. To me, it struck me as them being uncontrolled teenagers. What part of ejaculating in your pants is hot? Mutually. Yuck. But, I guess, they do their own laundry so…if that’s what floats their boat.
Bram’s level of scare tolerance is ridiculous. Everything about his reactions (…and frankly, most of the contents of this book) are so campy. Not in a good way. A lot of stereotyping. Rye also brings up their little queer group connection a few times, which…okay, valid. Queers are great at finding other queers and there is only one instance of potential homophobia in this book, when Zachary feels like a kid is staring at them on a hay ride. Either homophobia exists in this community or it doesn’t and that felt like a really unnecessary addition to that scene.
I also got a bit perturbed about the cat shelters. I loved the idea, but you CANNOT put blankets and towels in them. In severe weather, a cat could freeze to the fabric. The only thing you should use in shelters for outdoor/stray/feral cats is straw. Some feral cats probably wouldn’t even *use* something with a blanket or fabric mat. It’s unnatural to them. So, this was a missed research opportunity to impart some factual knowledge to a reader. It didn’t need to be preachy, but I can see someone reading this book and going, “Oh, they did this fun thing...” and not diving down that rabbit hole themselves.
The last note I have is a note about Zachary paying rent. I could be wrong, as I didn’t want to go back and try to find it, but doesn’t it say somewhere that he owns his house? Given its odd architectural design (…which is never mentioned again after Bram’s initial observance) I would think that purchase would have been a priority over renting? But again…I could be wrong and have just misread. Given the extreme boredom in between the bouts of just pure wrongness, I’m sure things slipped through.
I am also very put out that there is no conclusion around the disappearance of Zachary’s sister. Sure, people don’t always get closure to those situations. It’s a sad fact of life. But…this isn’t real life, nothing about this book is realistic, and frankly: I needed to know if she was alive or dead and whether or not having closure would have improved his relationship with his parents.
The overall conclusion: I certainly didn’t love this book, I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone, but it wasn’t a complete and total waste of time. The dialog in general was just…hard to read at times. I am mildly curious about the other books in the series (particularly, I feel like Rye could be a very likable character, but I’d probably end up disappointed), so I’m not sure that I would actually pick up the others unless I really needed something to read and it was readily available to me.
If I had to describe this book in one word, it would be “bland”. It started off rather dull and just didn’t improve. I’m not saying I hated this book but I also didn’t really enjoy it and there were some…issues. This is the first book of Roan Parrish’s that I’ve read. I tried reading Riven (which has a little Easter Egg mention in this book), and just couldn’t get into it. So, I wasn’t sure I’d care for this one anyway, but I decided to give it a shot. From my running notes with elaboration:
There is an inconsistent speech and dialog pattern to each of the main characters. I noticed this almost immediately, particularly with Zachary. He is also, apparently, one of those annoying people who will make the automatic assumption that an “odd” name is a nickname and correct for what he thinks their “proper” name is (In this case, Bram is Abraham, which it is not –it’s Bramble, which…okay, I’m not even going to go there). In his defense, Zachary does know immediately that this was kind of an asshole move, but…I was still annoyed as a person who has this done to them regularly.
On page 22, I note that there is already a lot of “vaguebook”-ese here. Rather than just laying things out, its all being hidden for…later? It doesn’t add drama, it just ends up being annoying.
Bram makes a joke in reference to the virgin survivor horror trope, but it isn’t clear that it is a joke?
This was also around the time when I started questioning whether Zachary is neurodivergent. Like, that doesn’t need to spelled out, but that was the vibe I was getting, and I feel like if he WAS that was a conversation that they should have had in trying to understand one another.
I have the note: “Decapitation works for all monsters, actually”. You’re severing the spinal cord. It’s not like a vampire can just re-attach its head. Please go watch some Buffy or something.
I literally gasped out loud and said “WHAT THE FUCK” to Zachary dumping the paint on the dragon. Is he a CHILD with no impulse control? It made absolutely NO SENSE to me that he would do that, even if he was mad, because…he is a very controlled person in ALL of his actions. The ONLY thing it did was make Bram seem naïve, taking it as a “prank”. I wanted to pat him on the head and explain to him what a prank is. (And I have no patience for pranks; I think they are a stupid waste of time and if they people who pulled them spent nearly as much time and brainpower on real issues, we could cure cancer). So, the prank war: dumb, dumb, dumb.
The Glitter Bomb in the mailbox also made me mad. It’s a federal crime to compromise a mailbox. Period. This was not a “fun joke”. It was criminal.
Chapter 12 contained what had to be the absolute dumbest sex scene I have ever read in all my years of romance reading (…which, we won’t talk about how long that’s been, but a majority of my life). They didn’t even get partly naked. To me, it struck me as them being uncontrolled teenagers. What part of ejaculating in your pants is hot? Mutually. Yuck. But, I guess, they do their own laundry so…if that’s what floats their boat.
Bram’s level of scare tolerance is ridiculous. Everything about his reactions (…and frankly, most of the contents of this book) are so campy. Not in a good way. A lot of stereotyping. Rye also brings up their little queer group connection a few times, which…okay, valid. Queers are great at finding other queers and there is only one instance of potential homophobia in this book, when Zachary feels like a kid is staring at them on a hay ride. Either homophobia exists in this community or it doesn’t and that felt like a really unnecessary addition to that scene.
I also got a bit perturbed about the cat shelters. I loved the idea, but you CANNOT put blankets and towels in them. In severe weather, a cat could freeze to the fabric. The only thing you should use in shelters for outdoor/stray/feral cats is straw. Some feral cats probably wouldn’t even *use* something with a blanket or fabric mat. It’s unnatural to them. So, this was a missed research opportunity to impart some factual knowledge to a reader. It didn’t need to be preachy, but I can see someone reading this book and going, “Oh, they did this fun thing...” and not diving down that rabbit hole themselves.
The last note I have is a note about Zachary paying rent. I could be wrong, as I didn’t want to go back and try to find it, but doesn’t it say somewhere that he owns his house? Given its odd architectural design (…which is never mentioned again after Bram’s initial observance) I would think that purchase would have been a priority over renting? But again…I could be wrong and have just misread. Given the extreme boredom in between the bouts of just pure wrongness, I’m sure things slipped through.
I am also very put out that there is no conclusion around the disappearance of Zachary’s sister. Sure, people don’t always get closure to those situations. It’s a sad fact of life. But…this isn’t real life, nothing about this book is realistic, and frankly: I needed to know if she was alive or dead and whether or not having closure would have improved his relationship with his parents.
The overall conclusion: I certainly didn’t love this book, I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone, but it wasn’t a complete and total waste of time. The dialog in general was just…hard to read at times. I am mildly curious about the other books in the series (particularly, I feel like Rye could be a very likable character, but I’d probably end up disappointed), so I’m not sure that I would actually pick up the others unless I really needed something to read and it was readily available to me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 29, 2022
This was so cute and adorably fluffy. Bram and Zachary overall had great communication and the dark moment was understandable and not drawn out. Loved the cameos with everyone else from Garnet Run but it’s getting a little complex to remember who is who, lol
August 31, 2022
I absolutely loved the idea of this!!!
A whole street famous for its Halloween decorations, just like Christmas, but spooky.
An uptight architect who’s sole fun in life seems to be winning the competition for “best Halloween decoration” every year, over and over again. Until a new guy moves in across the street. A huge guy who can make beautiful statues and other things out of wood with a chainsaw and his bare hands. A guy who seems to be competition!!!
And guy Zachery must hate and wipe out immediately!
Only for this books title, there wasn’t much of a rivalry or a hate to love romance at all.
There was only one action, which was actually extremely shocking and childish. If I was Bram I would have killed Zach.
I loved the beginning of this, Bram is a huge cinnamon roll with a dog, a gentle giant. I always love characters like this and he was no exception.
I also immediately loved Zachery with his tight schedules and his tight suits he wears in homeoffice.
Roan Parrishes characters are always special and they will steal your heart in no time.
This was a complete opposite’s attract and I am a sucker for that as well.
This should have worked out perfectly, but it just didn’t. The beautiful autumn setting and the rivalry should have made for a perfect story, but it fell flat.
There wasn’t a real rivalry, Bram and Zach really had absolutely nothing in common and (he didn’t even like dogs???) most of their actions seemed super childish (Bram running away on a spooky hayride made for children??? When Zach is all about horror movies?).
Bram has just recently left a long term relationship and was horribly deceived by the two most important people in his life. But he falls in love and trusts Zachery in no time at all. It didn’t make much sense to me.
The first two books in this series are one of my favourite books of all time, but I feel like with the switch to a new publisher these books get very mainstream and also extremely tame (what is it with the rubbing against each other fully clothed sex in the last two books?! These men are mid 20s to 40!).
I still loved the characters, the idea and of course the style of writing. But this just didn’t live up to its potential at all and it makes me super sad.
A whole street famous for its Halloween decorations, just like Christmas, but spooky.
An uptight architect who’s sole fun in life seems to be winning the competition for “best Halloween decoration” every year, over and over again. Until a new guy moves in across the street. A huge guy who can make beautiful statues and other things out of wood with a chainsaw and his bare hands. A guy who seems to be competition!!!
And guy Zachery must hate and wipe out immediately!
Only for this books title, there wasn’t much of a rivalry or a hate to love romance at all.
There was only one action, which was actually extremely shocking and childish. If I was Bram I would have killed Zach.
I loved the beginning of this, Bram is a huge cinnamon roll with a dog, a gentle giant. I always love characters like this and he was no exception.
I also immediately loved Zachery with his tight schedules and his tight suits he wears in homeoffice.
Roan Parrishes characters are always special and they will steal your heart in no time.
This was a complete opposite’s attract and I am a sucker for that as well.
This should have worked out perfectly, but it just didn’t. The beautiful autumn setting and the rivalry should have made for a perfect story, but it fell flat.
There wasn’t a real rivalry, Bram and Zach really had absolutely nothing in common and (he didn’t even like dogs???) most of their actions seemed super childish (Bram running away on a spooky hayride made for children??? When Zach is all about horror movies?).
Bram has just recently left a long term relationship and was horribly deceived by the two most important people in his life. But he falls in love and trusts Zachery in no time at all. It didn’t make much sense to me.
The first two books in this series are one of my favourite books of all time, but I feel like with the switch to a new publisher these books get very mainstream and also extremely tame (what is it with the rubbing against each other fully clothed sex in the last two books?! These men are mid 20s to 40!).
I still loved the characters, the idea and of course the style of writing. But this just didn’t live up to its potential at all and it makes me super sad.
October 5, 2022
A lovely romance.
Just a quiet, lovely romance with very little angst. Greg Boudreaux delivers a great audio performance that enhances the story so well and made it a pleasure to listen to. Roan Parrish has a way with writing characters that feel real, and Bram and Zachary are no exceptions.
Just a quiet, lovely romance with very little angst. Greg Boudreaux delivers a great audio performance that enhances the story so well and made it a pleasure to listen to. Roan Parrish has a way with writing characters that feel real, and Bram and Zachary are no exceptions.
October 23, 2022
This was so sweet and had extreme Halloween decor, themed cat shelters, and a very funny hayride. Definitely have a mixed record with this author but this one was great and made me tear up a few times.
August 12, 2022
Last Christmas my attention was captured by the book The Lights on Knockbridge Lane, the first gay Harlequin Special Edition and I loved it. When I saw the next book in the series, The Rivals of Casper Road, on NetGalley, I scooped it up with my auto-approval and was not disappointed. Whereas the previous book was focused on Christmas, this is set during fall/Halloween and I adore that time of year.
The setting of Garnet Run is adorable to begin with, but then there's a whole street that participates in a big Halloween decorating contest? Awesome! Zachary is an architect who lives his life on a strict schedule and who has won the contest several years in a row. When a new neighbor across the street, Bram, hears about the contest and decides to get involved it spurs a good natured prank war between the two... and some romance.
I really enjoyed this story. Bram's been burned by his past relationship, but he has such an amazing family behind him supporting him in whatever he decides to do. Which is exactly what Zachary needs, coming from a sad childhood and some even sadder self-esteem issues. They fit each other like pieces of a puzzle and made a great couple.
It was great to see the characters of the previous book, as well as some new characters - including an older woman who lives in a quite interesting house (acrylic walls!) with mysterious rock piles in the yard. There was also the ongoing plot of the cat rescue; Bram and Zachary team up to build some winter shelters for the cats. Anyway, I'll be happy if this series continue, quite frankly Harlequin could use the diversity in its line up and then some.
Thanks to Harlequin and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are my own and were not influenced by the free copy.
The setting of Garnet Run is adorable to begin with, but then there's a whole street that participates in a big Halloween decorating contest? Awesome! Zachary is an architect who lives his life on a strict schedule and who has won the contest several years in a row. When a new neighbor across the street, Bram, hears about the contest and decides to get involved it spurs a good natured prank war between the two... and some romance.
I really enjoyed this story. Bram's been burned by his past relationship, but he has such an amazing family behind him supporting him in whatever he decides to do. Which is exactly what Zachary needs, coming from a sad childhood and some even sadder self-esteem issues. They fit each other like pieces of a puzzle and made a great couple.
It was great to see the characters of the previous book, as well as some new characters - including an older woman who lives in a quite interesting house (acrylic walls!) with mysterious rock piles in the yard. There was also the ongoing plot of the cat rescue; Bram and Zachary team up to build some winter shelters for the cats. Anyway, I'll be happy if this series continue, quite frankly Harlequin could use the diversity in its line up and then some.
Thanks to Harlequin and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are my own and were not influenced by the free copy.
dnf
November 4, 2022DNF at 21%
I picked this up because I usually like the author and had read the rest of the series. Didn’t read the blurb carefully, clearly.
I don’t like pranks. This is not a book for me.
11/4/22
I picked this up because I usually like the author and had read the rest of the series. Didn’t read the blurb carefully, clearly.
I don’t like pranks. This is not a book for me.
11/4/22
September 27, 2022
3.5 stars. I don't think I'll ever dislike a Roan Parrish book, but The Rivals of Casper Road is not one of her best. I wonder if she has been asked to polish down any rough edges now that she is published by Harlequin; the rivalry between the MCs is pretty tame, and the romance is sweet but not memorable.
Like all of the other books in this series, Rivals pairs an outgoing, "normie" MC with one who is introverted and possibly neuro-divergent (Simon from Better Than People was too shy to speak, Rye from Best Laid Plans was prickly/mistrustful, and Wes from The Lights on Knockbridge Lane rarely left his house). This time we have neighbors Bram (easygoing and chill) and Zachary (rule-bound, socially awkward, probably on the Spectrum). Zachary is horrified that newcomer Bram thinks he has a chance to win the annual neighborhood Halloween house decorating contest. After all, as an architect and horror movie fan, Zachary has been an annual shoo-in for first place. So he embarks on a series of pranks to warn Bram off, and Bram reciprocates in kind. But then the two impulsively join forces to pull a harmless prank on another neighbor, which leads to a friendship and then romance.
Zachary has more than his share of insecurities, but Bram demonstrates that he finds him physically and emotionally appealing , while Zachary brings his share of surprises to Bram's content but quiet life. Their relationship has the requisite Dark Moment, but it is resolved fairly quickly and without undue angst. That leaves the last quarter of the book for cameos from other series MCs, Bram and Zachary using their woodworking and design skills on a project to help the town's feral cats, a visit to meet Bram's New Age crunchy granola family, and of course the results of the decorating contest.
This appears to be the last book in the series, although I'm still holding out hope that one day we will get nonbinary River's story. I'm glad that Parrish was the breakthrough M/M romance author for Harlequin, but I hope the grit and quirk from her self-published days will reappear as her success continues to grow.
ARC received from Net Galley in exchange for honest review.
Like all of the other books in this series, Rivals pairs an outgoing, "normie" MC with one who is introverted and possibly neuro-divergent (Simon from Better Than People was too shy to speak, Rye from Best Laid Plans was prickly/mistrustful, and Wes from The Lights on Knockbridge Lane rarely left his house). This time we have neighbors Bram (easygoing and chill) and Zachary (rule-bound, socially awkward, probably on the Spectrum). Zachary is horrified that newcomer Bram thinks he has a chance to win the annual neighborhood Halloween house decorating contest. After all, as an architect and horror movie fan, Zachary has been an annual shoo-in for first place. So he embarks on a series of pranks to warn Bram off, and Bram reciprocates in kind. But then the two impulsively join forces to pull a harmless prank on another neighbor, which leads to a friendship and then romance.
Zachary has more than his share of insecurities, but Bram demonstrates that he finds him physically and emotionally appealing , while Zachary brings his share of surprises to Bram's content but quiet life. Their relationship has the requisite Dark Moment, but it is resolved fairly quickly and without undue angst. That leaves the last quarter of the book for cameos from other series MCs, Bram and Zachary using their woodworking and design skills on a project to help the town's feral cats, a visit to meet Bram's New Age crunchy granola family, and of course the results of the decorating contest.
This appears to be the last book in the series, although I'm still holding out hope that one day we will get nonbinary River's story. I'm glad that Parrish was the breakthrough M/M romance author for Harlequin, but I hope the grit and quirk from her self-published days will reappear as her success continues to grow.
ARC received from Net Galley in exchange for honest review.
October 1, 2022
I completely engaged with these characters and their troubles. I loved getting back in touch with the previous couples (and have since downloaded the short featuring Henry and Cameron.
Such a great story. Loved it a lot.
Such a great story. Loved it a lot.
October 3, 2022
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC and the publisher for the complimentary finished copy. All opinions provided are my own.
If I’m looking for soft & cozy Roan Parrish is always a good bet & the title of this upcoming release--The Rivals of Casper Road—(not to mention those adorable FREAKING PUMPKINS on the cover!!) sucked me in.
Give me all the fall stuff.
This ended up being everything I said in the first paragraph: soft, cozy. Sweet. Pumpkin-y ;).
The basic set-up of this one is that after suffering a big heartbreak Bram Larkspur has moved to Garnet Run, Wyoming, home to some of Parrish’s other beloved characters.
His new neighbor is prickly Zachary Glass, a stiff, reserved type who has won the neighborhood Halloween decorating competition several years in a row.
Thanks to a couple of unfortunate moments they end up as rivals for a brief moment, & then they become something else (hint: something with smooching).
This is just a fast, heartwarming read between a prickly & the sunshine one with an epilogue that ended things on an awww note.
I’m really happy that these two Harlequin releases of Roan’s just go for it & these covers make me all kinds of happy.
4⭐️. Out now!
CWs: references to former anti-Semitism & bullying. Zachary has self-consciousness and insecurities about appearance now. Zachary’s sister disappeared when they were teens. Bram was cheated on in past.
If I’m looking for soft & cozy Roan Parrish is always a good bet & the title of this upcoming release--The Rivals of Casper Road—(not to mention those adorable FREAKING PUMPKINS on the cover!!) sucked me in.
Give me all the fall stuff.
This ended up being everything I said in the first paragraph: soft, cozy. Sweet. Pumpkin-y ;).
The basic set-up of this one is that after suffering a big heartbreak Bram Larkspur has moved to Garnet Run, Wyoming, home to some of Parrish’s other beloved characters.
His new neighbor is prickly Zachary Glass, a stiff, reserved type who has won the neighborhood Halloween decorating competition several years in a row.
Thanks to a couple of unfortunate moments they end up as rivals for a brief moment, & then they become something else (hint: something with smooching).
This is just a fast, heartwarming read between a prickly & the sunshine one with an epilogue that ended things on an awww note.
I’m really happy that these two Harlequin releases of Roan’s just go for it & these covers make me all kinds of happy.
4⭐️. Out now!
CWs: references to former anti-Semitism & bullying. Zachary has self-consciousness and insecurities about appearance now. Zachary’s sister disappeared when they were teens. Bram was cheated on in past.
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