Reviews

The Rivals of Casper Road, by Roan Parrish

Only show reviews with written explanations

escapistlit's review against another edition

in solidarity with the union who have been striking for fair contracts since nov 10, 2022, i'm withholding reviews for books from harpercollins and its imprints.

craftyhilary's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

3.75

Another story set in the small town of Garnet Run, this follows broken-hearted but free-spirited Bram Larkspur, who moves in across the street from buttoned-up architect Zachary Glass. We get cameos from the main characters of prior stories in the series, which adds to the cozy feel. This is primarily a light and fluffy Halloween romance, although it has some unexpectedly heavy moments in relation to

Spoiler

Zachary's long-lost sister, whose disappearance irreparably damaged his family

. The Rivals of Casper Road is kind of an all-vibes no-plot romance, which I enjoy, but I do think that relationship beats that could have been explored more fully ended up being addressed through some lengthy monologues. I wanted to see the character growth happen more naturally. I think we were supposed to think Zachary was

Spoiler

neurodivergent in some way

, but it wasn't explicitly stated, which I think worked well here. I will say that Roan Parrish has a history of heavier, angstier, and more thoughtful romances, and this felt extra-light, even in comparison to earlier Garnet Run books. I hope to see her take a turn in a new direction when she completes this series. Her writing is capable of much more depth than this confection.

krin's review against another edition

Go to review page

Harlequin is an imprint of HarperCollins. I'm holding my rating and review until HarperCollins reaches an agreement with the HarperCollins Union, which has been on strike since November 10.

Excerpt from Book Riot post:

Their demands are for better pay, diversity initiatives, and more security for unionized workers. Salaries at HarperCollins start at $45,000 pretax, well below a living wage in New York City, with an average salary of $55,000.

This comes after the publishing company made record profits in 2021. A Vulture article pointed out that the pay increase requested would cost the company less than a million dollars, and that the company paid more than that just for Jared Kushner’s book deal.

quietdissident's review

Go to review page

emotional lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Very cute Halloween-y, fallish read. Happy fluff with leads I could cheer for.

unphilosophize's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

Not at all what I was expecting
enjoyable

jessie_h's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

4.5

This was so cute and was a perfect read for Halloween! I loved Bram and Zachary! There romance was so sweet! I loved seeing the couples from the previous books and the prank war made me grin like a loon! Roan Parrish finished this series off strong and I'm sad to be saying goodbye to Garnet Run.

Content Warnings