Today I am so pleased to welcome Roan Parrish to Joyfully Jay. Roan Parrish has come to talk to us about her latest release, Where We Left Off (which I reviewed yesterday and totally loved). Please join me in giving her a big welcome!

I wrote the first draft of Where We Left Off almost entirely to a soundtrack of Years & Years and CHVRCHES. Years & Years’ lyrics and the incredible vulnerability of Olly Alexander’s voice resonated strongly with Leo. And CHVRCHES’ driving beats and slick, beautiful, diamond-hard surface that betrays a yearning for something a bit more human were the perfect analogue for Will. The rest of the playlist maps the beats of the novel, from Leo’s arrival in New York City, through his relationship with Will, and ends as the book ends: on a note of frenetic joy about the possibilities of love. As playlists go, this one is a little bit scattered and lot melodramatic—but hey, that’s college, right?

Spotify playlist link:
https://open.spotify.com/user/roanparrish/playlist/5g8U7WnqKveKzTlyWKlsze

Blurb

Leo Ware may be young, but he knows what he wants. And what he wants is Will Highland. Snarky, sophisticated, fiercely opinionated Will Highland, who burst into Leo’s unremarkable life like a supernova… and then was gone just as quickly.

For the past miserable year, Leo hasn’t been able to stop thinking about the powerful connection he and Will shared. So, when Leo moves to New York for college, he sweeps back into Will’s life, hopeful that they can pick up where they left off. What begins as a unique friendship soon burns with chemistry they can’t deny… though Will certainly tries.

But Leo longs for more than friendship and hot sex. A romantic to his core, Leo wants passion, love, commitment—everything Will isn’t interested in giving. Will thinks romance is a cheesy fairytale and love is overrated. He likes his space and he’s happy with things just the way they are, thank you very much. Or is he? Because as he and Leo get more and more tangled up in each other’s lives, Will begins to act like maybe love is something he could feel after all.

Bio

Roan Parrish is currently wandering between Philadelphia and New Orleans. 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.