Afbeelding auteur

Roan Parrish

Auteur van In the Middle of Somewhere

24+ Werken 1,298 Leden 115 Besprekingen Favoriet van 1 leden

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Werken van Roan Parrish

In the Middle of Somewhere (2015) 191 exemplaren
The Remaking of Corbin Wale (2017) 131 exemplaren
The Holiday Trap (2022) 110 exemplaren
Better Than People (2020) 109 exemplaren
Out of Nowhere (2016) 103 exemplaren
Riven (2018) 86 exemplaren
Best Laid Plans (2021) 73 exemplaren
Where We Left Off (2016) 70 exemplaren
Small Change (2017) 67 exemplaren
The Lights on Knockbridge Lane (2021) 59 exemplaren
Heart of the Steal (2017) — Auteur — 58 exemplaren
Rend (2018) 46 exemplaren
Invitation to the Blues (2018) 45 exemplaren
Natural Enemies (2018) 39 exemplaren
Raze (2019) 36 exemplaren

Gerelateerde werken

EXPOSED : A Romance Anthology (2018) — Medewerker — 17 exemplaren
All in Fear: A Collection of Six Horror Tales (2016) — Medewerker — 10 exemplaren
Love is All, Vol. 2 (8-in-1) (2019) — Voorwoord — 7 exemplaren
Follow Me Into Darkness (2016) — Medewerker — 6 exemplaren

Tagged

Algemene kennis

Gangbare naam
Parrish, Roan
Geboortedatum
1982-03-01
Geslacht
female
Nationaliteit
USA
Woonplaatsen
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Beroepen
author
Agent
Courtney Miller-Callihan
Taryn Fagerness
Korte biografie
Roan 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.

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Besprekingen

This is a Roan Parrish novel - she wants to show us the magical souls of her characters.

Alex, a baker, returns from NYC to his home town, takes over his mother's bakery/coffee shop ... in walks a man he went to school with - a weirdo called Corbin.

And so begins a beautiful novel. The publisher has called it an "M/M Holiday Romance". Holiday? Holiday romance? Who's on holiday? and this is not about a fling, a mini romance, as would meet the definition of "holiday romance". Sure the novel transverses the time of year that includes Thanksgiving, Christmas and Hanukkah, called "the holidays", but mmmm, that is circumstantial, not deliberate.

This is about two souls who meet in the ether inside the bakery, and much later in a tactile way, in the old house that Corbin has grown up in, and inherited from his two aunts, also weirdos.

'Weirdo' in the novel is a result of being cursed in life and love. In Corbin's life this being cursed seems to affect his life like a conspiracy theory. It's not true, but he lives inside a mindset that believes it's true.

With great care and patience Alex looks for a crack, a way to crawl inside Corbin's world to try to let in some air, some lightness, some hope, joy and love. Of course we know he will succeed, because Alex is grounded - he's a baker! He's real, he's steady, he's a lover.

Corbin is an elf in a secret garden that is always in danger of being invaded by darkness and evil. Alex is a light sabre - he's going to protect Corbin and free him from that world.

... and the two princes lived happily ever after.

Alex and Corbin have the goodness of heroes in fairytales, and their HEA is right because it puts the world at rights.

Triumphing over adversity, as is the job of heroes in fairytales, is serious business, not to be taken lightly.

This book couldn't be further from the "lightly" of holiday romance.

How right was Chris Chambers' narration! I've heard him quite a lot, and his manner of speaking is quite unusual, but it is brimful of empathy. He has a soft mesmerising delivery.

Later: I've now read comments below and thank you all, such great comments, even Connorz who said she was confused, and could do without the supporting character, Gareth - that made me think. I didn't agree but I'm sympathetic. I think a novel about Gareth and Orin's story could be good!
… (meer)
½
 
Gemarkeerd
Okies | 9 andere besprekingen | Jan 5, 2024 |
It's a stretch but I'm going to give this 4.5 stars - it's not necessarily better than my usual 4 star awardees, or other Roan Parrish novels, but the bonus is because Dane Hughes and Felix Rainey both taught me something I needed to know.

Dane's routines, his frozen states, his fear that every day he could fall off the wagon of sobriety from his addiction, from Oxy, despite his 10 years of dedication to his rigid routine. Felix comes along and he understands Dane, because he is a kind, caring person, with an attraction to Dane's huge physique, not because he's trodden Dane's addiction path. Dane's size is not just a turn on for Felix, but his potential rock of comfort and security, a mooring.

They both have emotional deprivation but both tackle it in completely different ways. I couldn't believe that Felix was able to ask Dane aka Huey for a date and then articulate his needs ...in contrast to Dane who could not articulate a thing about his needs to save himself.

They are both into self sacrifice, giving to others, and when they start to date, they have each other to give to, Dane cooking healthy meals for Felix, Felix expressing feelings, allowing Dane to experience attachment, since he is locked in detachment. Felix brings touch and closeness, and emotional intimacy to Dane. Dane's greatest joy is in "taking care of" Felix. They fit each other like yin and yang.

How two outwardly unlikely lovers make a rich relationship is stunning - they work to get there. Felix gets under Dane's armour; Dane is healed enough (from the dread of addiction more than the addiction itself) to be open to Felix and to allow space for him.

The casting of the narrators was brilliant - the deep warm voice of Tor Thom (Dane) and the light earnest voice of Kirt Graves (Felix).
… (meer)
½
 
Gemarkeerd
Okies | 6 andere besprekingen | Nov 13, 2023 |
This was a beautiful book and narrator Robert Nieman was a big part of that. I loved the way he moved between Daniel and Rex though it took me awhile to pick up the difference, ie the drawl he gave to Rex. The gift in this book is how we get to know these two characters in more and more depth as they fall for each other.

Daniel is closed off, and Rex is isolated. They have instant chemistry but the chemistry only takes them so far. They have to open themselves up to trust someone else and to care about each other. The latter comes naturally to Rex, he is a caretaker. Cooking healthy food, providing a home, going out of his way. All this he showers on Daniel. Daniel turns round one day and asks himself what he gives to Rex - sounds simple, but the self-involvement that absorbs most people, especially people who live in defensive mode, the care Rex showers on him, it's a revelation to Daniel, and he starts to include Rex in his life.

Daniel blooms under Rex, and Rex is kinda 'rescued' by Daniel.

No one does this sort of thing better than Roan Parrish, who has a real sensibility for these angst ridden characters. I was surprised to see this was her first novel, released in July 2015. She's since published 19 novels!

Her empathy with her characters shows up in subsequent novels. But I also agree with another commentator here that In the Middle of Somewhere is a bit too long, and a bit over the top. Luckily I listened to the talking book and didn't notice all those "um" utterances in the dialogue. That would have driven me crazy too.

The audiobook is 13.5 hours, which is way too long and it could have done with some judicious editing of some overly long angst laden sections. A few sub plot lines, such as with Daniel's gay brother, or the young skateboarder, were left dangling, but perhaps they are picked up in other books in the series.
… (meer)
½
 
Gemarkeerd
Okies | 17 andere besprekingen | Oct 24, 2023 |
Once I never would have gravitated to a Christmas novel, let alone a Christmas romance! Wow, am I in a different place with my reading.

But where's the mystery when this novel has Roan Parrish's name on it, and the Garrett Run series.

I've read the other books in this series - each has a touch of Grace - if that's the way to describe it - that makes them unforgettable.

Parrish infuses such humanity into her stories, which span a very narrow geography, the small town of Garnet Run, Wyoming (pop. 5,000), and a simple world of a home and hearth.

'Home' is the centre of the universe - the cradle of love that everyone is seeking - and it shelters humans and animals with equal empathy.

This is a three-way love affair. By the end of the book, it is Gus, Adam's daughter, Adam and the neighbour across the street, Wes, who together find the 'cradle of love' in and with each other. Gus is quite the star of the show - an 8-year old budding scientist who adores the reclusive scientist neighbour Wes. But it is the wise head of Adam, the stand-in parent, who absolutely excels at the job! who holds them together.

I'm giving this book a big rave so I'm not sure why I'm not giving it 4 stars - it could be that it is 7 hours long, and I think I took maybe 12 hours, as I fell asleep through it a few times. I say 12 hours because I relistened to the parts I'd missed, which demonstrates that I didn't want to miss anything.

Narrator Michael Dean did a great job.
… (meer)
½
 
Gemarkeerd
Okies | 3 andere besprekingen | Sep 11, 2023 |

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Statistieken

Werken
24
Ook door
5
Leden
1,298
Populariteit
#19,787
Waardering
4.0
Besprekingen
115
ISBNs
78
Talen
2
Favoriet
1

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