Duck: Friends, Better Than People by Roan Parrish is a super-ducking awesome novel! We enjoyed the DUCK out of it, didn’t we, Star? And the audiobook, narrated by James Cavenaugh, came to Star at the ducking perfect time.
Star: It’s true! See, I’d embarked on The Boyfriend Subscription by Stephen Salvatore—a novel I’d been so excited about reading. But while the book was a great read, it was also heavy. Still, I persevered, feeling it was worth it. But ultimately, the reason I gave up on The Boyfriend Subscription was that this otherwise very queer book seemed to assume that couples who present as male and female are “heterosexual couples,” and as a nonbinary pansexual person, that felt erasing. I’m used to such assumptions, but coming from a queer author, it’s a bit harder.
Duck: That’s why you looked for a romance containing dogs, right, Star? Because EVEN THOUGH SOME DOGS EAT DUCKS (stay away from dogs, ducks!) dog energy is ducking healing for Star.
Star: Yes! So I bought the audiobook of Better Than People, narrated beautifully by James Cavenaugh. And I was not disappointed. This combination of novel and narration really lifted me out of that heavy place I’d been in. It’s not that the love story between Jack and Simon doesn’t have heaviness, because it does—that’s part of the novel’s rich evolution beyond life’s weight. But what makes it so uplifting, you quack? In Better Than People, the heaviness always has a duck of a lot of HEART. And Cavenaugh’s narration really captured that heart.
Duck: So much heart! Even though Better Than People also contains cats—and cats EAT DUCKS!
Star: Some do. But if anyone tries to eat you, Duck, I’ll be sending in the peacocks. They know how to scare.
Duck: I should know—my partner Riley’s a peacock. They once scared my DINNER away. (It was a fish.) Anyway, Roan Parrish writes these protagonists with more duck-deep humanity than a queer duck on their way to a pro-duck rally.
Star: True! To avoid pond-splat spoilers, let’s just say that protagonist Jack, who has a super-ducking awesome family of dogs and cats, has lost his faith in humanity. When he breaks his leg, however, he must accept human help, which comes in part from Simon, who volunteers (via an app) to help Jack walk his dogs. Simon finds it tough to trust most humans too. In fact, he struggles with such severe anxiety that speaking is often difficult for him, but he can’t deny his bond with Jack, who is instantly supportive and understanding. And so the romance begins.
Duck: Star and I—who both have anxiety, duck it—found Simon’s portrayal especially moving. (And Cavenaugh narrates Simon with real humanity and heart, too.) Simon, who hasn’t had it easy, is beak-to-flippers anxious, but Jack understands and doesn’t attack, gaslight, beak-jab, or try to change how/who Simon is. Simon is painted as courageous, smart, and independent, and is super-ducking honest and open about who he is and what his limits and boundaries are.
Star: And while Jack supports Simon in many duck-shaped ways, Simon also supports Jack very fully. Not to give too much away, but one of my favorite moments in the novel is when Simon confronts Jack about the way he speaks about his own disability and what this attitude implies about the disabilities of others—Simon’s included. Jack accepts the wisdom and learns from it. Like I say, this novel has HUGE HEART and that comes across in every word and phrase. The bond these protagonists share is a WARM BATH (or perfectly-temperate pond) and a STRONG SHIELD against the attacks of the world. That said, they both help each other to find a BETTER world, too. Parrish also shows us that what these protagonists struggle with gives them strengths—and isn’t that so powerful when it comes to true diversity?
Duck: Better Than People really snaps my pondweed fritter! After all, as a support duck, seeing your human move from a novel that made them feel pond-sloppy to one that—while still being honest about life’s hardships—seeks to lift its readers up is beak-to-flippers FABULOUS. I was flipper-dancing so joyfully that my duck-thighs got all tender. (But it’s alright! No one’s going to be eating them any time soon!)
Star: After all, they are made of a polyester-nylon mix.
Duck: That said, they’re probably still tasty.
Star: Final word about the animals, who were a real balm in this book.
Duck: Note: no ducks though.
Star: And as an animal lover, I’m always a fan of authors who portray how deeply supportive our pets can be. Roan Parrish does that with duck-shaped bells on!
Duck: Super-ducking awesome stuff! And with neurodiverse and queer characters here, we’re giving Better Than People five diversity ducks too.
Star: And five flippers up for the audiobook. Seriously. Cavenaugh reads with warmth and range, and he voices Simon and Jack very differently and roundly.
Duck: In general, I was so impressed by the resonance of Cavenaugh’s reading (of the audiobook) that I grew calmer than a midnight pond. This resulted in my experimenting with some very tricky duck-yoga positions that you can only get into to if you’re super-ducking relaxed. Score!
Star: You did need a hand getting out them though.
Duck: Only with the Two-Flipper Twist with Duck-Thigh Extension. But who doesn’t need help escaping that one?
Star: That’s fair. On that note, finally, let’s talk about the sex scenes. (If you don’t want to read these general comments on the sex scenes, best skip the rest of the article, dear folks.) James Cavenaugh narrated these well-written sex scenes super-ducking awesomely—something I find some audio-narrators do better than others.
Duck: Especially in the waterfowl world! Just promise me you’ll never let a bird named Goose Luce honk her way through Jilly Cooper’s Riders. You WILL get a beak-ache. Even if you like a little Jilly.
Star: Parrish does a wonderful job of creating sex scenes that are warm, passionate and hot, but that also feel real—including in the audiobook. Kudos to both author and narrator for this!
Duck: Next time, Roan Parrish, maybe consider introducing a duck. But not on a plate. Even if it’s a duck-shaped one.
Star: And there we have it, folks. Novels containing ducks that are NOT on plates will be right at the top of Duck’s reading list.
Duck: Duck yes!
Star: Thanks for stopping by, friends. At the time of reading, you can buy Roan Parrish’s Better Than People here:
Harlequin (Carina Adores) – print book
Romancey Pants 
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