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The Brown Sisters #1
Get a Life, Chloe Brown
Chloe Brown is a chronically ill computer geek with a goal, a plan, and a list. After almost—but not quite—dying, she’s come up with six directives to help her “Get a Life”, and she’s already completed the first: finally moving out of her glamourous family’s mansion. The next items?
• Enjoy a drunken night out.
• Ride a motorcycle.
• Go camping.
• Have meaningless but thoroughly enjoyable sex.
• Travel the world with nothing but hand luggage.
• And... do something bad.
But it’s not easy being bad, even when you’ve written step-by-step guidelines on how to do it correctly. What Chloe needs is a teacher, and she knows just the man for the job.
Redford ‘Red’ Morgan is a handyman with tattoos, a motorcycle, and more sex appeal than ten-thousand Hollywood heartthrobs. He’s also an artist who paints at night and hides his work in the light of day, which Chloe knows because she spies on him occasionally. Just the teeniest, tiniest bit.
But when she enlists Red in her mission to rebel, she learns things about him that no spy session could teach her. Like why he clearly resents Chloe’s wealthy background. And why he never shows his art to anyone. And what really lies beneath his rough exterior…
• Enjoy a drunken night out.
• Ride a motorcycle.
• Go camping.
• Have meaningless but thoroughly enjoyable sex.
• Travel the world with nothing but hand luggage.
• And... do something bad.
But it’s not easy being bad, even when you’ve written step-by-step guidelines on how to do it correctly. What Chloe needs is a teacher, and she knows just the man for the job.
Redford ‘Red’ Morgan is a handyman with tattoos, a motorcycle, and more sex appeal than ten-thousand Hollywood heartthrobs. He’s also an artist who paints at night and hides his work in the light of day, which Chloe knows because she spies on him occasionally. Just the teeniest, tiniest bit.
But when she enlists Red in her mission to rebel, she learns things about him that no spy session could teach her. Like why he clearly resents Chloe’s wealthy background. And why he never shows his art to anyone. And what really lies beneath his rough exterior…
387 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 5, 2019
About the author
Talia Hibbert
31 books33.1k followersTalia Hibbert is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who lives in a bedroom full of books. Supposedly, there is a world beyond that room, but she has yet to drum up enough interest to investigate.
She writes sexy, diverse romance because she believes that people of marginalised identities need honest and positive representation. Her interests include beauty, junk food, and unnecessary sarcasm. She also rambles intermittently about the romance genre online.
Talia self-publishes via Nixon House and is represented by Courtney Miller-Callihan at Handspun Literary.
She writes sexy, diverse romance because she believes that people of marginalised identities need honest and positive representation. Her interests include beauty, junk food, and unnecessary sarcasm. She also rambles intermittently about the romance genre online.
Talia self-publishes via Nixon House and is represented by Courtney Miller-Callihan at Handspun Literary.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 29,614 reviews
August 12, 2024
**Upgraded Review:** This book is a real gem, and I wish it had been nominated in the best romance category. In my opinion, it’s one of the most surprising, emotional, humorous, smart, and remarkable books of the year!
Wow, 4.25 stars! I wasn’t expecting to like this book so much. I was ready for an easy, cheesy rom-com, but instead, I got a story filled with emotions, heart-wrenching second chances, and the struggles of two beautiful souls. I adored, devoured, and savored it, and finally found my juicy romance STARS! Amen to that!
I’m so happy because, at the same time, I was reading another romance story that I detested (its review is coming up, and unfortunately, it’s one of the most popular and highly promoted books of the year). I was about to give up on finding a decent and lovable book—something that makes you feel alive, something that makes your heart ache, refreshes your soul, and puts a smile on your face that can’t be easily wiped away. I’m happy to announce that this book gave me more than I expected, and I finally found LOVABLE AND ADORABLE AMAZING CHARACTERS.
Chloe, witty and sophisticated, with great taste in buttoned cardigans and colorful vintage dresses, carries her pain as an indispensable part of her life. She suffers from fibromyalgia, accompanied by fatigue and altered sleep, memory, and mood.
One day, she had a near-death experience when a drunk driver crashed into a store, narrowly missing her. This made her realize she had only one life to live, so she needed to escape from the cocoon her protective and loving family had wrapped around her. She created a list to help her take more risks and bring more fun into her dull, predictable life.
As soon as she moved into an apartment, she met the super-duper hottie superintendent, Redford, who was always seeing red during their encounters. From there, we witness their slow-burn romantic relationship. Chloe has to deal with her insecurities due to her illness—her own fiancé and close friends ghosted her after discovering her chronic disease.
And then there's Red, who was once a selected, famous painter, still trying to bury the ghosts of his past relationships and suffering from the wrong decisions he made in life. Now, he needs to take a step to embrace new opportunities by opening his heart to new and meaningful love.
The two of them literally collided, making the wrong impressions about each other’s real intentions. They started out thinking the worst of each other. But a beautiful cat played the role of a secret cupid, bringing them together and helping them connect. So, they took the first step from being enemies to becoming friends.
Chloe needs Red’s help to fulfill her list, and Red needs an efficient website for his comeback operation with his new drawings. It started as a friends-with-benefits agreement (excluding sex—Chloe took that option off her list), but then… No more spoilers! Grab the book and keep your sassy smile. A small hint—the chemistry between the couple is hot as hell.
I was truly tempted to give this book five stars. But… there was an angsty moment that wasn’t really necessary and it did irritate me a bit. I understand that new relationships between characters with heavy baggage can stumble with struggles, but I wish the author had created better obstacles between them.
I love edgy, heart-breaking moments when characters break up and realize they can’t live without each other. But this particular misunderstanding, which caused a great cliffhanger in their relationship, didn’t work for me!
That said, I still loved this romantic story! I adored the couple, and I’m curious about the entertaining stories of those incredible sisters! I’m all in for the sequels!
Special thanks to Avon and NetGalley for sharing this wonderful read with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Wow, 4.25 stars! I wasn’t expecting to like this book so much. I was ready for an easy, cheesy rom-com, but instead, I got a story filled with emotions, heart-wrenching second chances, and the struggles of two beautiful souls. I adored, devoured, and savored it, and finally found my juicy romance STARS! Amen to that!
I’m so happy because, at the same time, I was reading another romance story that I detested (its review is coming up, and unfortunately, it’s one of the most popular and highly promoted books of the year). I was about to give up on finding a decent and lovable book—something that makes you feel alive, something that makes your heart ache, refreshes your soul, and puts a smile on your face that can’t be easily wiped away. I’m happy to announce that this book gave me more than I expected, and I finally found LOVABLE AND ADORABLE AMAZING CHARACTERS.
Chloe, witty and sophisticated, with great taste in buttoned cardigans and colorful vintage dresses, carries her pain as an indispensable part of her life. She suffers from fibromyalgia, accompanied by fatigue and altered sleep, memory, and mood.
One day, she had a near-death experience when a drunk driver crashed into a store, narrowly missing her. This made her realize she had only one life to live, so she needed to escape from the cocoon her protective and loving family had wrapped around her. She created a list to help her take more risks and bring more fun into her dull, predictable life.
As soon as she moved into an apartment, she met the super-duper hottie superintendent, Redford, who was always seeing red during their encounters. From there, we witness their slow-burn romantic relationship. Chloe has to deal with her insecurities due to her illness—her own fiancé and close friends ghosted her after discovering her chronic disease.
And then there's Red, who was once a selected, famous painter, still trying to bury the ghosts of his past relationships and suffering from the wrong decisions he made in life. Now, he needs to take a step to embrace new opportunities by opening his heart to new and meaningful love.
The two of them literally collided, making the wrong impressions about each other’s real intentions. They started out thinking the worst of each other. But a beautiful cat played the role of a secret cupid, bringing them together and helping them connect. So, they took the first step from being enemies to becoming friends.
Chloe needs Red’s help to fulfill her list, and Red needs an efficient website for his comeback operation with his new drawings. It started as a friends-with-benefits agreement (excluding sex—Chloe took that option off her list), but then… No more spoilers! Grab the book and keep your sassy smile. A small hint—the chemistry between the couple is hot as hell.
I was truly tempted to give this book five stars. But… there was an angsty moment that wasn’t really necessary and it did irritate me a bit. I understand that new relationships between characters with heavy baggage can stumble with struggles, but I wish the author had created better obstacles between them.
I love edgy, heart-breaking moments when characters break up and realize they can’t live without each other. But this particular misunderstanding, which caused a great cliffhanger in their relationship, didn’t work for me!
That said, I still loved this romantic story! I adored the couple, and I’m curious about the entertaining stories of those incredible sisters! I’m all in for the sequels!
Special thanks to Avon and NetGalley for sharing this wonderful read with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
July 13, 2022
It feels right to be here again, two years after I posted my original review, to scream about the masterpiece that is Get A Life, Chloe Brown once more. Last time, I opened with statements like, “romance isn’t really my jam” and “I’m always skeptical to dip my toes into steamy waters" (hah)
Obviously none of that really applies anymore; I now read smut like it’s a 9 to 5. That said, I'll never not give it up for Chloe because she started it all.
Let’s re-recap why I love this story so fucking much:
The titular woman herself. I’ve read a good handful of Talia Hibbert’s books now, but none of their other MCs speak to me the way this particular Brown sister does. We are so alike it’s stupid. I, too, have made countless ‘get a life’ lists in my time and am enamored by glittery stationery. I love keeping people at a distance and shutting down the moment things get vulnerable. It gives me hope. If this self-proclaimed ‘socially inept control freak’ can find her happy ending, maybe I can too.
Red. What a sweet slice of man. What a king. I remember when I first read about him, I was SHOCKED that a love interest could be (and I quote!) generous, caring, nice, and not a douche. Aside from the fact that all those words mean the same thing (someone clearly needed to pry the thesaurus from my overenthusiastic hands), it’s safe to say that Red raised the bar on how I envision a worthwhile romantic hero. As someone who was brought up on the likes of Christian Grey and Travis Maddox, Redford Morgan was a game changer. Suits and six-packs may be hot but emotional intelligence is WAY hotter, and all that.
The characters may bring the story to life, but this book’s excellence comes from more than the frivolous fun of posh banter and bedroom escapades. There’s balance. Once again, I’d blame my early 2010’s introduction to the genre for this, but seeing a fictional couple hit realistic hurdles and actually work through them was a phenomenon I’d yet to encounter when I first read Get A Life. But even if that wasn’t the case, even if this was utterly ridiculous in all aspects, I’d rather go down the avenue of cavity-inducing dialogue and a cat-rescue/meet-cute than find out that the man we’re supposed to be rooting for stole the main character’s bloody bedsheets to prove to his friends that he’d managed to fuck her.
In short: it’s fluff, it’s fun. These two nerds bring me an almost unparalleled amount of comfort and were the first to do so. Shoutout to T Hibbs for opening my eyes to the wonderful world of written romcoms & upping my standards for what love can be.
Obviously none of that really applies anymore; I now read smut like it’s a 9 to 5. That said, I'll never not give it up for Chloe because she started it all.
Let’s re-recap why I love this story so fucking much:
The titular woman herself. I’ve read a good handful of Talia Hibbert’s books now, but none of their other MCs speak to me the way this particular Brown sister does. We are so alike it’s stupid. I, too, have made countless ‘get a life’ lists in my time and am enamored by glittery stationery. I love keeping people at a distance and shutting down the moment things get vulnerable. It gives me hope. If this self-proclaimed ‘socially inept control freak’ can find her happy ending, maybe I can too.
Red. What a sweet slice of man. What a king. I remember when I first read about him, I was SHOCKED that a love interest could be (and I quote!) generous, caring, nice, and not a douche. Aside from the fact that all those words mean the same thing (someone clearly needed to pry the thesaurus from my overenthusiastic hands), it’s safe to say that Red raised the bar on how I envision a worthwhile romantic hero. As someone who was brought up on the likes of Christian Grey and Travis Maddox, Redford Morgan was a game changer. Suits and six-packs may be hot but emotional intelligence is WAY hotter, and all that.
The characters may bring the story to life, but this book’s excellence comes from more than the frivolous fun of posh banter and bedroom escapades. There’s balance. Once again, I’d blame my early 2010’s introduction to the genre for this, but seeing a fictional couple hit realistic hurdles and actually work through them was a phenomenon I’d yet to encounter when I first read Get A Life. But even if that wasn’t the case, even if this was utterly ridiculous in all aspects, I’d rather go down the avenue of cavity-inducing dialogue and a cat-rescue/meet-cute than find out that the man we’re supposed to be rooting for stole the main character’s bloody bedsheets to prove to his friends that he’d managed to fuck her.
In short: it’s fluff, it’s fun. These two nerds bring me an almost unparalleled amount of comfort and were the first to do so. Shoutout to T Hibbs for opening my eyes to the wonderful world of written romcoms & upping my standards for what love can be.
August 8, 2020
This book was so cute and sweet (and steamy)! I enjoyed the banter, smut, and the love interest being so unabashedly in love with the protagonist. I also enjoyed seeing how tender and attentive he was to her chronic condition. My main complaint is that the conflict in the last 1/3 of the book seemed to have come out of nowhere; from there, it started feeling pretty rushed and contrived. I appreciate that the characters ended up communicating and owning up to their issues, but the conflict in the last act was still unnecessary and heavy-handed. I’m glad that it was at least resolved quickly though so things didn’t need to be dragged out.
Read
July 5, 2020Are! You! Kidding! Me!
This was so cute I actually started tearing up–multiple times. I cannot get over how healthy the pairing was! Each character developed through motivation from their partner AND themselves to be their best self. Pass me the tissue, I can’t handle such beauty.
I will say that I wasn’t wild about the climax (or relative lack thereof). But, then again, I felt this book and Chloe & Red’s relationship was too solid for unnecessary ~drama~.
This will 100% be a re-read in the future. I need more Redford Morgan in my life.
Can’t wait to continue the series!
This was so cute I actually started tearing up–multiple times. I cannot get over how healthy the pairing was! Each character developed through motivation from their partner AND themselves to be their best self. Pass me the tissue, I can’t handle such beauty.
I will say that I wasn’t wild about the climax (or relative lack thereof). But, then again, I felt this book and Chloe & Red’s relationship was too solid for unnecessary ~drama~.
This will 100% be a re-read in the future. I need more Redford Morgan in my life.
Can’t wait to continue the series!
August 14, 2022
I used to think that 23-years-old people were adults with families and a house of their own… and here I am languishing away and reading romance to fill the void inside my heart lol
July 23, 2020
So CUTE so PURE
August 29, 2024
This is the book equivalent of a Double Stuf Oreo. (This is not a typo - for reasons unknowable, the frosting-like contents of an Oreo are branded as “stuf.” With one F. Which somehow makes the already-gross idea of ingesting something as vaguely and euphemistically named as “stuff” even grosser.)
Anyway, it takes an already good thing (an Oreo, or a romance novel) and takes the thing that makes it good (the aforementioned Stuf, or the romance novel stuff I will discuss later), and gives you more of it.
I can’t believe it exists, I can’t believe we’re lucky enough to exist in a world in which it exists, and yet I am delighted that these things are true.
There is a lot of good stuff between these pages, just as there is a lot of good Stuf between Double Stuf Oreo cookies.
I mean, the REPRESENTATION here. The EFFORTLESSNESS of that representation.
The depiction of chronic pain, which is not happily ever after’d away, nor is it ignored when it’s not convenient to the plot!
Our protagonist, who is fat and black and both of these things are part of the fact that she is beautiful!
Our hero, who is recovering from an abusive relationship and not magically free of side effects from it!
This is just so representative of so many marginalized identities and so effortlessly good at it. It makes you wonder why more books can’t be like this.
That being said...
It took me a REALLY long time to get into this story. By “a really long time,” I mean at legitimately the 75% mark. I didn’t feel invested until there were less than a hundred pages to go, but I eventually felt semi-invested and that’s what counts!!
Yes, maybe I didn’t start rooting for this couple to get together until Drama Drove Them Apart but still. Who’s to say if that isn’t just because of what’s wrong with me as a person? The best parts of every romance are the Suffering Will They Won’t They parts. Give me season 2 Jim and Pam flirtation over season 4 Jim and Pam relationship any day.
Another good thing about this romance and a bad thing about me when it comes to romance: I am incredibly awkward and tend to cringe at any smut scene, but this was well done so thank you to the author for rescuing me from myself on this one.
I just want every book to have the cream-to-cookie ratio that this book had. (Did I lose the metaphor?)
Bottom line: This book is so miraculous it made me talk too much about Oreos and in doing so apparently lose my mind!!!
-------------
pre-review
i am satisfied.
review to come / 4 stars I DON'T KNOW
Anyway, it takes an already good thing (an Oreo, or a romance novel) and takes the thing that makes it good (the aforementioned Stuf, or the romance novel stuff I will discuss later), and gives you more of it.
I can’t believe it exists, I can’t believe we’re lucky enough to exist in a world in which it exists, and yet I am delighted that these things are true.
There is a lot of good stuff between these pages, just as there is a lot of good Stuf between Double Stuf Oreo cookies.
I mean, the REPRESENTATION here. The EFFORTLESSNESS of that representation.
The depiction of chronic pain, which is not happily ever after’d away, nor is it ignored when it’s not convenient to the plot!
Our protagonist, who is fat and black and both of these things are part of the fact that she is beautiful!
Our hero, who is recovering from an abusive relationship and not magically free of side effects from it!
This is just so representative of so many marginalized identities and so effortlessly good at it. It makes you wonder why more books can’t be like this.
That being said...
It took me a REALLY long time to get into this story. By “a really long time,” I mean at legitimately the 75% mark. I didn’t feel invested until there were less than a hundred pages to go, but I eventually felt semi-invested and that’s what counts!!
Yes, maybe I didn’t start rooting for this couple to get together until Drama Drove Them Apart but still. Who’s to say if that isn’t just because of what’s wrong with me as a person? The best parts of every romance are the Suffering Will They Won’t They parts. Give me season 2 Jim and Pam flirtation over season 4 Jim and Pam relationship any day.
Another good thing about this romance and a bad thing about me when it comes to romance: I am incredibly awkward and tend to cringe at any smut scene, but this was well done so thank you to the author for rescuing me from myself on this one.
I just want every book to have the cream-to-cookie ratio that this book had. (Did I lose the metaphor?)
Bottom line: This book is so miraculous it made me talk too much about Oreos and in doing so apparently lose my mind!!!
-------------
pre-review
i am satisfied.
review to come / 4 stars I DON'T KNOW
April 15, 2020
Charming romance novel involving a woman with chronic pain and an attitude to mask it and her building’s super, a giant man with long flowing red hair and a tender, wounded heart. Well written, great banter, sexy vibes. Refreshing to see a romance novel about people with real problems while also including all the things we love about romance novels. Took way too long to get to the sex! Just way too long.
August 10, 2020
perhaps my subscribers DO know me
December 11, 2019
BOTM pick for November 2019!
I've been extremely generous with my 5 star ratings recently, but Talia Hibbert is an author that truly earns every freaking star she receives. She's a national treasure and we do not deserve her, folks. If you enjoy meaningful romances that are as diverse as they are steamy, please do yourself a favor and pick this one up. Dani's story is next in the trilogy, and you bet I'm waiting on pins and needles for it to be released. *FYI, this book does contain graphic sexual content and may not be suitable for all audiences.
Me, when I shed my dark, thriller reading persona, and pick up a feel good, steamy romance:
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
I've been extremely generous with my 5 star ratings recently, but Talia Hibbert is an author that truly earns every freaking star she receives. She's a national treasure and we do not deserve her, folks. If you enjoy meaningful romances that are as diverse as they are steamy, please do yourself a favor and pick this one up. Dani's story is next in the trilogy, and you bet I'm waiting on pins and needles for it to be released. *FYI, this book does contain graphic sexual content and may not be suitable for all audiences.
Me, when I shed my dark, thriller reading persona, and pick up a feel good, steamy romance:
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
October 24, 2020
Caution: rated R... or X.... or NC17.....
I finished this book yesterday and have been putting off reviewing it. 😬I really wanted to love this book. It’s been all over my feed for months! And all of my friends raved in their reviews about it. I guess the hype built it up too much for me? 🤷🏼♀️ I’ll start with the flirty banter. I loved the interactions between these two, before they got physical. The email banter was adorable. The scene with the cat in the tree was laugh out loud funny. 🤣😂 But the magic kinda disappeared for me once they got together. ☹️ The steamy scenes felt uncomfortable to me and I’m not a prude about erotic books. I couldn’t put my finger on why these felt pushed and not hot to me.... hence my delay in reviewing.... as I’ve been thinking about it more... I think it was a mistake listening to the audiobook. 🧐 The narrator has a much older mature voice, which resulted in my picturing these characters as being 50+... which is my mothers age group... you add the word ‘pussy’ to that and it feels a bit cringeworthy. So I’ll have to stick with a 3 on this one... 😽
I finished this book yesterday and have been putting off reviewing it. 😬I really wanted to love this book. It’s been all over my feed for months! And all of my friends raved in their reviews about it. I guess the hype built it up too much for me? 🤷🏼♀️ I’ll start with the flirty banter. I loved the interactions between these two, before they got physical. The email banter was adorable. The scene with the cat in the tree was laugh out loud funny. 🤣😂 But the magic kinda disappeared for me once they got together. ☹️ The steamy scenes felt uncomfortable to me and I’m not a prude about erotic books. I couldn’t put my finger on why these felt pushed and not hot to me.... hence my delay in reviewing.... as I’ve been thinking about it more... I think it was a mistake listening to the audiobook. 🧐 The narrator has a much older mature voice, which resulted in my picturing these characters as being 50+... which is my mothers age group... you add the word ‘pussy’ to that and it feels a bit cringeworthy. So I’ll have to stick with a 3 on this one... 😽
April 21, 2022
#1 Get a Life, Chloe Brown ★★★★★
#2 Take a Hint, Dani Brown ★★★★★
#3 Act Your Age, Eve Brown
"Choke, Redford. Just choke."
He seemed to adore her more every second.
This is such a hard review for me to write, not because I'm upset about what to say, but the opposite: because it was so damn good that I just want to screech incoherently until you ALL go buy it immediately and shove your faces into this incredible, hilarious, swoon-worthy, steamy, gorgeous, complex little rom-com. ♥ It's genuinely everything good in the world of romance books rolled into one adorable little package and I just— *deep breath* I don't know how to possibly describe to you how much I love this book.
She was Chloe fucking Brown, and she was starting to wonder if she'd been brave from the beginning. If she'd just needed to love herself enough to realize it.
All this time, I thought nothing could ever trump Talia's A Girl Like Her, that no romance heroine could ever mean as much to me, but no, I was wrong: Chloe Brown is the romance heroine of my heart, and I couldn't love her anymore if I tried. Talia's blessed me before with characters I could relate to for their size, or their mental illness struggles, or their painful pasts, or even just their quirks and humor — but until reading this book, I didn't know how monumentally desperate I was to find a character I could see my chronic illness and pain represented in.
Chloe was used to seeing her life and her illness as normal, but she wasn't used to other people acting the same way.
I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that I sobbed over Chloe's struggles and victories, that I cried my eyes out over how genuinely and purely Red loves her and wants to take care of her, that this book literally changed me for the better because somehow, through some miraculous turn of phrases, Talia Hibbert was finally the angel who could get it through my thick skull that I am worthy of being loved, even on my worst days,... I'm choking up just typing this because it meant that much to me. Chloe meant that damn much to me.
"You, sir, are a menace. A menace to good and decent society, and to noble, chaste women such as myself—" She might have been insulted at how hard he laughed if she wasn't giggling herself.
I'm sorry, lovelies, I really didn't mean for this review to turn into such a rambling mess, but I just... whew. On a lighter note — because at its core, Get a Life, Chloe Brown is a rom-com and a damn successful one to boot — this book is adorable, and sexy, and so hilarious. I laughed so hard, and if you all could see my highlights on my kindle, it's unreal. I must've highlighted a solid 30% of the book just for sweet, swoony, and laugh-out-loud moments. Red is a stunning hero and I think he's just about impossible to avoid loving. And then there's Chloe's family! If you've read anything by Talia, you know her side characters are always absolutely BRILLIANT, and these are no exception. I'm bursting at the seams to get my hands on Chloe's sisters' stories because these women are fantastic and I need to get to know them as soon as humanly possible.
"For you," he said, as though it was obvious. "It's always for you."
I feel like I say this in every review I've written for this magnificent woman's stories, but I'm having to force myself to shut up because this review's gone on long enough already and at this point, I just want to resume incoherent screeching at you. This is easily one of the best books I've read all year and most likely my singular #1 favorite read of 2019, and you need it in your life.
All quotes come from an advance copy and may not match the final release. Thank you so much to Avon for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Buddy read with Bex! ♥♥♥
January 25, 2021
This was one of my most anticipated books of the year and I am SO happy to report that I loved it just as much as I was hoping I would. Chloe was so strong and smart and hilarious and Red was so swooney and kind and loving and MY HEART IS SO FULL. If you want to read a romance that is equal parts sexy and swooney, look no further. PLUS THERE IS A CAT WHAT MORE COULD YOU WANT
November 24, 2019
THIS WAS TRULY EVERYTHING AHHHH
February 16, 2020
This story is literal happiness.
————————
99 pennies on kindle, lads! ✌🏾
————————
This turned my guarded-mushy heart into a puddle. This book attacked me defences, destroyed my emotions and left me with a stupid, lopsided grin on my face and tears casually strolling down my cheeks.
I don’t even know who I am anymore.
I knew half-way through reading this book that I would re-visit this story again and it would be infinitely better the second time round, and the third, etc.
What I love about Talia Hibbert’s stories are how respectable, consensual, clean, honest, vulnerable they are. On the flip-side, she writes some of the most filthiest scenes. The parallels are a damn treat and make for such a great romance and a whirlwind of a story.
I absolutely adored it.
————————
99 pennies on kindle, lads! ✌🏾
————————
This turned my guarded-mushy heart into a puddle. This book attacked me defences, destroyed my emotions and left me with a stupid, lopsided grin on my face and tears casually strolling down my cheeks.
I don’t even know who I am anymore.
I knew half-way through reading this book that I would re-visit this story again and it would be infinitely better the second time round, and the third, etc.
What I love about Talia Hibbert’s stories are how respectable, consensual, clean, honest, vulnerable they are. On the flip-side, she writes some of the most filthiest scenes. The parallels are a damn treat and make for such a great romance and a whirlwind of a story.
I absolutely adored it.
August 16, 2020
eeeeeeeeeeee
July 17, 2020
3.5
Man...their final argument before the whole epic grovel was soooo unnecessary. But this book had some great representation, funny quips, steamy goodness and some truly adorable moments.
Anyway, please Miss Hibbert give us the story of Gigi and Shivani.
Man...their final argument before the whole epic grovel was soooo unnecessary. But this book had some great representation, funny quips, steamy goodness and some truly adorable moments.
Anyway, please Miss Hibbert give us the story of Gigi and Shivani.
August 21, 2020
3.5
firstly this was some of the best chronic illness rep I have ever read and parts of it made me really emotional. i really loved chloe and red a lot as individuals but for some reason I wasn't super connected to or feeling their romance. it was still a good book and as always i love talia hibbert's writing but this wasn't my fave of hers
firstly this was some of the best chronic illness rep I have ever read and parts of it made me really emotional. i really loved chloe and red a lot as individuals but for some reason I wasn't super connected to or feeling their romance. it was still a good book and as always i love talia hibbert's writing but this wasn't my fave of hers
December 8, 2020
This rating reflects my personal taste, and level of enjoyment.
I occasionally enjoy a romantic comedy but nothing turns me off more than authors using the three C words: two of which refer (in a crass way) to bodily parts, and the other to a bodily fluid.
NOT sexy.
If a guy used those “not so romantic” words thinking it would make me want to take his hand, and lead him to my bedroom, he would find out in a hurry, I was escorting him to my front door, instead...Goodnight!
ONE ⭐️ Awarded for the rescue of a cat trapped in a tree.
ONE ⭐️ Awarded for the sensitive manner in which the author approached the process of healing after an abusive relationship.
For those of you that like your Rom-Coms, STEAMY and GRAPHIC this one’s for you!
A buddy read with DeAnn who forgave me for suggesting this one!
I occasionally enjoy a romantic comedy but nothing turns me off more than authors using the three C words: two of which refer (in a crass way) to bodily parts, and the other to a bodily fluid.
NOT sexy.
If a guy used those “not so romantic” words thinking it would make me want to take his hand, and lead him to my bedroom, he would find out in a hurry, I was escorting him to my front door, instead...Goodnight!
ONE ⭐️ Awarded for the rescue of a cat trapped in a tree.
ONE ⭐️ Awarded for the sensitive manner in which the author approached the process of healing after an abusive relationship.
For those of you that like your Rom-Coms, STEAMY and GRAPHIC this one’s for you!
A buddy read with DeAnn who forgave me for suggesting this one!
November 6, 2022
Can I get more of the world's most adorable ginger ironically named Red? I don't think 370 pages were enough.
August 27, 2021
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I feel cheated by the cutesy illustration on the cover of Get a Life, Chloe Brown.
Having recently finished a romcom novel with a similar cover (If I Never Met You by Mhairi McFarlane) I was under the misguided impression that Talia Hibbert's book belonged to the same genre.
While Get a Life, Chloe Brown certainly starts out like any other romcom, with the promise of a delightful enemies-to-lovers romance, after the first fifty pages or so I realised that this book was going to be a lot more explicit than I'd anticipated ...still, I wasn't prepared for the sex in this book to be quite so cringeworthy .
The Good Stuff
After escaping unscathed what could have been fatal accident Chloe Brown, a thirty-something-year-old whose fibromyalgia has led her to live a fairly controlled and risk-free life, decides to ‘get a life’. She makes a list (with things such as ride a motorbike, go camping, have carefree sex) and finally moves out of her family’s house.
The first few chapters of Get a Life, Chloe Brown were thoroughly entertaining.
While we know that Chloe has a lot to contend with, her upfront and amusing inner monologues, and her awkward exchanges with others were diverting and uplifting.
Chloe’s reserved demeanour and cutting humour cause the superintendent/handyman of her building to form a not so great opinion of her and sees her as a haughty snob. Chloe herself dislikes Redford ‘Red’ Morgan because of his laid-back attitude and for the easy way in which he can charm others (including her younger sisters).
After Red rescues Chloe from a tree (in what was her attempt to rescue a cat) the two strike up a deal: Red will help Chloe with her list and in exchange she will build a website for Red’s art. At this stage of the book I found their dynamic amusing and I sympathised with both of them.
I was particularly looking forward to reading about Chloe’s story arc as I also suffer from chronic pain. Talia Hibbert articulates the in congruencies that come with chronic illness: Chloe’s craves independence and freedom, she does not want to be see in the light of her condition...yet she simultaneously wishes that others could understand that the everyday activities, actions and movements they might take for granted are impossible or cause incredible pain to her. I loved it when she tells Red that she isn’t hurt, she is hurting. Her condition is a constant. Yet, she doesn’t let fibromyalgia dictate everything that she is or does. Chloe has so much else going for her: her job as a website designer, her sense of style, and her humour.
The Not So Good Stuff
As I said, the relationship between Red and Chloe started well enough as it promised to be more of a slow-burn. Boy, was I wrong. After the first 50 pages Red is already masturbating and fantasising about Chloe (this after 1 sort of amicable/very banter-y interaction). Soon, the novel completely focused on Red and Chloe and their shared physical attraction.
What about Chloe’s sisters? Her parents? Her grandmother? They seem forgotten. The sisters have a cameo or two but that’s about it. I wanted to see more family interactions...especially since we are told that Chloe spent the last ten years of her life interacting and socialising with her family and has 0 friends. Surely she would have thought about them more?
Red...I wanted to like him...but I just couldn’t look past his creepy behaviour. He barely knows Chloe when he makes a pass on her. She was vulnerable, and he seemed to take advantage of that. He also had this weird ‘I’m a nice guy’ act which had him behaving like a woman’s idea of the ideal man (sensitive, funny, attentive, artistic, and most of all: HUNKY). Because we will be reminded time and again that Red is BIG, he is HUGE. Red is basically a tall and ripped walking breathing Greek statue.
Most of the book is about Red and Chloe fantasising about one another and having sexual encounters. There is some predictable miscommunication towards the end and that’s about it.
I don't mind the odd sex scene or so but when the narrative is nearly entirely focused on the physical attraction between the two leads well, I begin to loose interest.
Hibbert's portrayal of class is simplistic and superficial. Part of me was annoyed by the fact that Chloe never acknowledges her privileged background. Having fibromyalgia does not negate one's wealth/education.
More than anything, I was disconcerted by the incongruent tone of this novel: on the one hand we have this very cutesy story in which both leads seem to act in a very childlike manner (with Red thinking and saying to Chloe things such as “you are too cute”, nicknaming her “Button”, and their silly email exchanges) on the other we have scenes upon scenes of cringe-worthy sex scenes that seemed closer to bad porn (is there such a thing as good porn? I doubt that) that a romance novel.
The Not Good At All Stuff (heads up: EXPLICIT LANGUAGE BELOW)
The scenes leading to their sexual encounters try to come across as hard-core, filled with dirty, and frankly crude, talk: the actual sex scenes however are anything but sexy or ‘steamy’ and I had a hard time keeping a straight face as they made me laugh my head off. They manage to be a weird combination of tawdry and hilarious.
These are some of unintentionally funny descriptions of Chloe and Red’s sex scenes:
➜ “her hot pussy fluttering around him” (fluttering?)
➜ “He gritted his teeth as his orgasm came barreling at him like a freight train” (I am dying with laughter. Like a freight train? Chloe better watch out!)
➜ “She melted, and he licked up her wetness like nectar.” (Chloe sure does melt a lot)
➜ “Her orgasm was so powerful she thought she might black out.” (their orgasms sure are powerful, better watch out for a concussion)
There were however also a lot of antiquated, and out of character, moments in which Red orders around Chloe (up to that point Red has been depicted as the embodiment of kindness, and whose inherently serene disposition make everyone around him, himself included, refer to him as a ‘nice guy’; whereas Chloe strives for independence and has a strong sense of integrity and justice).
Maybe if their ‘dirty talks’ had been more in line with their established personalities and dynamic (with Red reffering to Chloe as Button and Chloe calling Red Mr.Morgan ) I wouldn’t have found it so trashy. But here we have two supposedly ‘modern/different’ individuals who during their sexual encounters take up antiquated, outdated, and inherently misogynistic roles in which the man commands the woman:
➜“Who was she? Apparently, the kind of woman who thrilled at coarse orders like that, and broke a little bit when they were followed with hoarse manners.”
➜“I want to hold you open like this when you take my cock.”
And the worst thing is that this kind of talk starts when their friendship is still uncertain. Red, our supposedly tranquil and empathic guy, tells Chloe that “I want to put my hand under your skirt and feel how hot your pretty cunt is. But I bet you wouldn’t let me do that in public” when they still don’t know each other very well when they are out on a Chloe's first night out.
There is also a scene following their first amicable encounter where we get a fully detailed depiction of Red masturbating while he fantasises about Chloe, a woman who until the previous morning he had disliked and whom he barely knows.
As much as I wanted to love this novel, I found the characters’ sex scenes to be vulgar and obsolete. One may have certain fetishes, whatever floats your boat, but why do so many 'romance novels's feature a woman who is happy to be spoken about in such a way? ‘Thrilled’ to be ordered and commanded, made to ‘beg’ until her manly man finally grants her the gift of his almighty ‘penis’. Also, how many women who come from a background similar to Chloe's would refer to their vagina as their pussy? There is nothing wrong with the word VAGINA. It exists, use it.
I just wasn’t a fan of the way in which Hibbert would describe her characters’ desire. Most of the time her expressions and metaphors are either questionable or unfunny:
➜“She was dissolving like sugar in hot tea.”
➜“Her middle melted like chocolate fudge cake.”
Final verdict
What started out as a witty romcom ended up being closer to erotica with sex scenes which are both disempowering and unintentionally hilarious.
I have learnt my lesson: never trust a book cover.
Read more reviews on my blog / / / View all my reviews on Goodreads
I feel cheated by the cutesy illustration on the cover of Get a Life, Chloe Brown.
Having recently finished a romcom novel with a similar cover (If I Never Met You by Mhairi McFarlane) I was under the misguided impression that Talia Hibbert's book belonged to the same genre.
While Get a Life, Chloe Brown certainly starts out like any other romcom, with the promise of a delightful enemies-to-lovers romance, after the first fifty pages or so I realised that this book was going to be a lot more explicit than I'd anticipated ...still, I wasn't prepared for the sex in this book to be quite so cringeworthy .
The Good Stuff
After escaping unscathed what could have been fatal accident Chloe Brown, a thirty-something-year-old whose fibromyalgia has led her to live a fairly controlled and risk-free life, decides to ‘get a life’. She makes a list (with things such as ride a motorbike, go camping, have carefree sex) and finally moves out of her family’s house.
The first few chapters of Get a Life, Chloe Brown were thoroughly entertaining.
While we know that Chloe has a lot to contend with, her upfront and amusing inner monologues, and her awkward exchanges with others were diverting and uplifting.
Chloe’s reserved demeanour and cutting humour cause the superintendent/handyman of her building to form a not so great opinion of her and sees her as a haughty snob. Chloe herself dislikes Redford ‘Red’ Morgan because of his laid-back attitude and for the easy way in which he can charm others (including her younger sisters).
After Red rescues Chloe from a tree (in what was her attempt to rescue a cat) the two strike up a deal: Red will help Chloe with her list and in exchange she will build a website for Red’s art. At this stage of the book I found their dynamic amusing and I sympathised with both of them.
I was particularly looking forward to reading about Chloe’s story arc as I also suffer from chronic pain. Talia Hibbert articulates the in congruencies that come with chronic illness: Chloe’s craves independence and freedom, she does not want to be see in the light of her condition...yet she simultaneously wishes that others could understand that the everyday activities, actions and movements they might take for granted are impossible or cause incredible pain to her. I loved it when she tells Red that she isn’t hurt, she is hurting. Her condition is a constant. Yet, she doesn’t let fibromyalgia dictate everything that she is or does. Chloe has so much else going for her: her job as a website designer, her sense of style, and her humour.
The Not So Good Stuff
As I said, the relationship between Red and Chloe started well enough as it promised to be more of a slow-burn. Boy, was I wrong. After the first 50 pages Red is already masturbating and fantasising about Chloe (this after 1 sort of amicable/very banter-y interaction). Soon, the novel completely focused on Red and Chloe and their shared physical attraction.
What about Chloe’s sisters? Her parents? Her grandmother? They seem forgotten. The sisters have a cameo or two but that’s about it. I wanted to see more family interactions...especially since we are told that Chloe spent the last ten years of her life interacting and socialising with her family and has 0 friends. Surely she would have thought about them more?
Red...I wanted to like him...but I just couldn’t look past his creepy behaviour. He barely knows Chloe when he makes a pass on her. She was vulnerable, and he seemed to take advantage of that. He also had this weird ‘I’m a nice guy’ act which had him behaving like a woman’s idea of the ideal man (sensitive, funny, attentive, artistic, and most of all: HUNKY). Because we will be reminded time and again that Red is BIG, he is HUGE. Red is basically a tall and ripped walking breathing Greek statue.
Most of the book is about Red and Chloe fantasising about one another and having sexual encounters. There is some predictable miscommunication towards the end and that’s about it.
I don't mind the odd sex scene or so but when the narrative is nearly entirely focused on the physical attraction between the two leads well, I begin to loose interest.
Hibbert's portrayal of class is simplistic and superficial. Part of me was annoyed by the fact that Chloe never acknowledges her privileged background. Having fibromyalgia does not negate one's wealth/education.
More than anything, I was disconcerted by the incongruent tone of this novel: on the one hand we have this very cutesy story in which both leads seem to act in a very childlike manner (with Red thinking and saying to Chloe things such as “you are too cute”, nicknaming her “Button”, and their silly email exchanges) on the other we have scenes upon scenes of cringe-worthy sex scenes that seemed closer to bad porn (is there such a thing as good porn? I doubt that) that a romance novel.
The Not Good At All Stuff (heads up: EXPLICIT LANGUAGE BELOW)
The scenes leading to their sexual encounters try to come across as hard-core, filled with dirty, and frankly crude, talk: the actual sex scenes however are anything but sexy or ‘steamy’ and I had a hard time keeping a straight face as they made me laugh my head off. They manage to be a weird combination of tawdry and hilarious.
These are some of unintentionally funny descriptions of Chloe and Red’s sex scenes:
➜ “her hot pussy fluttering around him” (fluttering?)
➜ “He gritted his teeth as his orgasm came barreling at him like a freight train” (I am dying with laughter. Like a freight train? Chloe better watch out!)
➜ “She melted, and he licked up her wetness like nectar.” (Chloe sure does melt a lot)
➜ “Her orgasm was so powerful she thought she might black out.” (their orgasms sure are powerful, better watch out for a concussion)
There were however also a lot of antiquated, and out of character, moments in which Red orders around Chloe (up to that point Red has been depicted as the embodiment of kindness, and whose inherently serene disposition make everyone around him, himself included, refer to him as a ‘nice guy’; whereas Chloe strives for independence and has a strong sense of integrity and justice).
Maybe if their ‘dirty talks’ had been more in line with their established personalities and dynamic (with Red reffering to Chloe as Button and Chloe calling Red Mr.Morgan ) I wouldn’t have found it so trashy. But here we have two supposedly ‘modern/different’ individuals who during their sexual encounters take up antiquated, outdated, and inherently misogynistic roles in which the man commands the woman:
➜“Who was she? Apparently, the kind of woman who thrilled at coarse orders like that, and broke a little bit when they were followed with hoarse manners.”
➜“I want to hold you open like this when you take my cock.”
And the worst thing is that this kind of talk starts when their friendship is still uncertain. Red, our supposedly tranquil and empathic guy, tells Chloe that “I want to put my hand under your skirt and feel how hot your pretty cunt is. But I bet you wouldn’t let me do that in public” when they still don’t know each other very well when they are out on a Chloe's first night out.
There is also a scene following their first amicable encounter where we get a fully detailed depiction of Red masturbating while he fantasises about Chloe, a woman who until the previous morning he had disliked and whom he barely knows.
As much as I wanted to love this novel, I found the characters’ sex scenes to be vulgar and obsolete. One may have certain fetishes, whatever floats your boat, but why do so many 'romance novels's feature a woman who is happy to be spoken about in such a way? ‘Thrilled’ to be ordered and commanded, made to ‘beg’ until her manly man finally grants her the gift of his almighty ‘penis’. Also, how many women who come from a background similar to Chloe's would refer to their vagina as their pussy? There is nothing wrong with the word VAGINA. It exists, use it.
I just wasn’t a fan of the way in which Hibbert would describe her characters’ desire. Most of the time her expressions and metaphors are either questionable or unfunny:
➜“She was dissolving like sugar in hot tea.”
➜“Her middle melted like chocolate fudge cake.”
Final verdict
What started out as a witty romcom ended up being closer to erotica with sex scenes which are both disempowering and unintentionally hilarious.
I have learnt my lesson: never trust a book cover.
Read more reviews on my blog / / / View all my reviews on Goodreads
April 1, 2020
tw: recovering from an abusive relationship
This book was a delight. Hate-to-love with lots of banter and a sort of opposites attract. The chronic illness rep was amazing. While I myself do not have a chronic illness, my best friend does and we talk about how that effects daily life. The entire time I was reading this all I could think of is "she has to read this!"
What I especially loved about the relationship is encapsulated by this line: "I need you. I'm desperate for you. I'm something without you and I'll survive without you, but I don't fucking want to." Some romances have a hard time depicting love without co-dependence and these two were able to be two separate individuals who wanted to be together, and also wanted to be better, both for themselves and each other. This had some heavier topics, but always had an air of hope and understanding, and depicted how relationships need work.
What keeps this from being a 5 star for me is two things. First, 5 star romances for me have to provoke an emotional reaction for me (typically consisting of me experiencing butterflies on behalf of the couple and/or kicking my feet in giddiness while reading) and this fell juuuuuust below that. Second, while the sex scenes weren't bad, I did find them jarring as this book has a sweet tone and then the sex scenes turn to the characters (particularly Red) busting out some smutty dirty talk and behavior. Which is fine! Just jarring imo. Also the characters do the thing where they think about each other sexually a lot, which again is fine, but something that pulls me a bit out of the story as that's not personally how I experience attraction. BUT, I will say this book did it better than other books that have done the same thing, as it's kept more jokey and doesn't take itself too seriously.
I plan to read more books by Talia Hibbert and continue with this series.
Also, Sarah-Jane, READ THIS BOOK!
This book was a delight. Hate-to-love with lots of banter and a sort of opposites attract. The chronic illness rep was amazing. While I myself do not have a chronic illness, my best friend does and we talk about how that effects daily life. The entire time I was reading this all I could think of is "she has to read this!"
What I especially loved about the relationship is encapsulated by this line: "I need you. I'm desperate for you. I'm something without you and I'll survive without you, but I don't fucking want to." Some romances have a hard time depicting love without co-dependence and these two were able to be two separate individuals who wanted to be together, and also wanted to be better, both for themselves and each other. This had some heavier topics, but always had an air of hope and understanding, and depicted how relationships need work.
What keeps this from being a 5 star for me is two things. First, 5 star romances for me have to provoke an emotional reaction for me (typically consisting of me experiencing butterflies on behalf of the couple and/or kicking my feet in giddiness while reading) and this fell juuuuuust below that. Second, while the sex scenes weren't bad, I did find them jarring as this book has a sweet tone and then the sex scenes turn to the characters (particularly Red) busting out some smutty dirty talk and behavior. Which is fine! Just jarring imo. Also the characters do the thing where they think about each other sexually a lot, which again is fine, but something that pulls me a bit out of the story as that's not personally how I experience attraction. BUT, I will say this book did it better than other books that have done the same thing, as it's kept more jokey and doesn't take itself too seriously.
I plan to read more books by Talia Hibbert and continue with this series.
Also, Sarah-Jane, READ THIS BOOK!
November 10, 2019
A wonderful, sweet and sexy tale of enemies to lovers, but also an emotional story about healing 😍
I loved this book soooo much! This was hands down my favourite romance book of the year so far! I had already read, and loved A Girl Like Her by Talia Hibbert, so I was so excited to get an ARC of Get a Life, Chloe Brown. I love the diversity in this author's books, but also the unexpected emotional depth. I must also mention the author's note at the start. She actually included a trigger warning for healing from emotional abuse, and that was much appreciated.
Chloe Brown, a chronically ill website designer almost got hit by a car, and she realised that she hadn't really been living her best life at all, so she made a plan and a list (she was really great at those) of things that she wanted to do so she could get a life.
Red, the superintendent of Chloe's new flat and a sexy artist, seemed to like everyone but Chloe! After they both make incorrect assumptions about each other, they got off on the wrong foot, but could he help her with her list?!
Lets see so this had realistic and likeable characters, the two main character's Chloe and Red were everything! I felt such a connection to them both, and just fell in love with them.
Chloe was smart, strong, snarky, hilarious and adorable! She came across as rude to start with, but that was just her armour, her defence mechanism if you like, to protect herself from being hurt. She was so relatable with her nerdiness, and her lists! I really felt for Chloe, life had certainly thrown some shit her way.
Red...Oh my gosh, I do not usually go for men with long hair, but Redford Morgan can do no wrong in my eyes! 😍 He had flaws, and a past, but he was so open and honest, and had such a sensitive soul. He was kind, loving and mature, which was so refreshing. I just adored him!
The secondary characters were also interesting. I loved Chloe's sisters, and her relationship with them, and Gigi was just awesome! Any of them could have their own book! I also liked Red's friend Vik, and their friendship.
I don't have any personal experience of living with chronic pain, but I felt that this book handled it really well. Chloe suffered from fibromyalgia and also with fatigue because her illness affected her sleep. I liked the way the book showed how Chloe dealt with her illness, how she managed her pain and her day to day life. It felt authentic.
This book... gosh it touched on so many things....
1) The different types of healing, both physical and emotional.
2) Wrong assumptions made by judging someone on your first impression of them-which I am definitely guilty of sometimes!
3) Getting out of your comfort zone.
4) Positive body image. Chloe Brown was a curvy, plus size black woman, but her size was not talked about at all! Her size didn't define her, and she was a sexy, confident woman! I loved that about her, she owned her body, and I am so inspired by her!
5) It's not just women who suffer from emotional abuse.
6) Making new friends, trusting them and putting yourself out there!
It was all so lovely!
Chloe and Red had some chemistry that's for sure! They had great banter, and there were a few very steamy scenes! Most of all though, they were so good for each other!
I must have gone through nearly every emotion reading Get a Life, Chloe Brown, and when I had finished reading, I felt like I could float away, I had such a grin on my face! This book had such heart, and I fell hard for it. I cannot recommend it enough, in fact I will be buying a copy of it on November 5th when it is published, and devouring it again very shortly!
Many thanks to Edelweiss and Jessica Lyons at HarperCollins for my digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.
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All the stars!!! I'm so bloody emotional after reading this! Red and Chloe are the sweetest and must be protected at all costs.
Review to come once I stop swooning ❤️☺️😂
I loved this book soooo much! This was hands down my favourite romance book of the year so far! I had already read, and loved A Girl Like Her by Talia Hibbert, so I was so excited to get an ARC of Get a Life, Chloe Brown. I love the diversity in this author's books, but also the unexpected emotional depth. I must also mention the author's note at the start. She actually included a trigger warning for healing from emotional abuse, and that was much appreciated.
Chloe Brown, a chronically ill website designer almost got hit by a car, and she realised that she hadn't really been living her best life at all, so she made a plan and a list (she was really great at those) of things that she wanted to do so she could get a life.
Red, the superintendent of Chloe's new flat and a sexy artist, seemed to like everyone but Chloe! After they both make incorrect assumptions about each other, they got off on the wrong foot, but could he help her with her list?!
Lets see so this had realistic and likeable characters, the two main character's Chloe and Red were everything! I felt such a connection to them both, and just fell in love with them.
Chloe was smart, strong, snarky, hilarious and adorable! She came across as rude to start with, but that was just her armour, her defence mechanism if you like, to protect herself from being hurt. She was so relatable with her nerdiness, and her lists! I really felt for Chloe, life had certainly thrown some shit her way.
Red...Oh my gosh, I do not usually go for men with long hair, but Redford Morgan can do no wrong in my eyes! 😍 He had flaws, and a past, but he was so open and honest, and had such a sensitive soul. He was kind, loving and mature, which was so refreshing. I just adored him!
The secondary characters were also interesting. I loved Chloe's sisters, and her relationship with them, and Gigi was just awesome! Any of them could have their own book! I also liked Red's friend Vik, and their friendship.
I don't have any personal experience of living with chronic pain, but I felt that this book handled it really well. Chloe suffered from fibromyalgia and also with fatigue because her illness affected her sleep. I liked the way the book showed how Chloe dealt with her illness, how she managed her pain and her day to day life. It felt authentic.
This book... gosh it touched on so many things....
1) The different types of healing, both physical and emotional.
2) Wrong assumptions made by judging someone on your first impression of them-which I am definitely guilty of sometimes!
3) Getting out of your comfort zone.
4) Positive body image. Chloe Brown was a curvy, plus size black woman, but her size was not talked about at all! Her size didn't define her, and she was a sexy, confident woman! I loved that about her, she owned her body, and I am so inspired by her!
5) It's not just women who suffer from emotional abuse.
6) Making new friends, trusting them and putting yourself out there!
It was all so lovely!
Chloe and Red had some chemistry that's for sure! They had great banter, and there were a few very steamy scenes! Most of all though, they were so good for each other!
I must have gone through nearly every emotion reading Get a Life, Chloe Brown, and when I had finished reading, I felt like I could float away, I had such a grin on my face! This book had such heart, and I fell hard for it. I cannot recommend it enough, in fact I will be buying a copy of it on November 5th when it is published, and devouring it again very shortly!
Many thanks to Edelweiss and Jessica Lyons at HarperCollins for my digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.
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All the stars!!! I'm so bloody emotional after reading this! Red and Chloe are the sweetest and must be protected at all costs.
Review to come once I stop swooning ❤️☺️😂
November 15, 2019
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
My face when I saw the rating for this one . . . . .
Oh I was so looking forward to it. Sadly . . . . . .
Coincidentally, Chloe herself was a bit of a Debbie Downer. Not to mention . . . .
I love when what should theoretically be simple romcoms tackle larger issues as the case was here with the leading lady suffering from chronic pain due to fibromyalgia and the leading male dealing with . . . something else that I’m not going to spoil since it’s not in the blurb. However, authors need to assume their readers aren’t dolts. I felt like I was beaten over the head with reminders about Chloe’s illness to the point where she became nearly intolerable to me – not to mention the fact that her personality was just pretty much intolerable. (And trust that I can get on board with a character who isn’t Mary Sunshine because I loved The Cactus and everyone else hated that poor broad.) So much time was spent in Chloe’s head with her talking about herself that some important issues failed to get explained. Like, maybe her fiancé was a douchecanoe who couldn’t handle marrying someone with a forever type of illness, but seriously ALL of her friends were assholes too? And her family????? (Who, by the way, were ALWAYS there for her whenever she needed them and sat on a wad of dough so she never had to worry about finances either.) It seemed to me like it was Chloe herself who turned into a hermit/thought of her diagnosis as a death sentence because no evidence was given to the contrary. Unfortunately her redemption arc didn’t come until the 70% mark so by then it was too little too late for me to decide I liked her after all.
Obviously the rating was already going to take a hit due to this personality conflict, but I did (and still do) love the premise that Chloe needed to take her life back. And I loved that she was a curvy girl. And I always love some diversity. And I loved Smudge the cat. I didn’t love Red but I didn’t hate him either so that wasn’t the worst. And I was prepared for there to be a bit of steam because I is smort and you can only fool me once with that "a cartoon cover means PG sexytimes" (looking at you The Kiss Quotient). Buuuuuuuuuuuuuut, I was not prepared for this snooty upperclass leading lady to refer to her own bits as the “P Word” incessantly (like when she wasn’t actively engaged in intercourse or foreplay) . . . . .
If you know me, you know I��m not a prude, but I only tolerate that shit in a porno featuring motorcycle gang members or dudes who shift into things like wolves and bears in their spare time. And then when they had their first sexual encounter ON THE GODDAMN SIDEWALK IN FRONT OF A FUCKING PUBLIC STATUE??????
(Fez at the end there is everyone else who read this book and is not named Kelly or Mitchell.)
If my poor husband had the idea that he was going to be getting some action after this one, he was sadly mistaken . . . .
The bright side is I think this might have just been a fluke miss for me. I’ll definitely give this author another go.
My face when I saw the rating for this one . . . . .
Oh I was so looking forward to it. Sadly . . . . . .
Coincidentally, Chloe herself was a bit of a Debbie Downer. Not to mention . . . .
I love when what should theoretically be simple romcoms tackle larger issues as the case was here with the leading lady suffering from chronic pain due to fibromyalgia and the leading male dealing with . . . something else that I’m not going to spoil since it’s not in the blurb. However, authors need to assume their readers aren’t dolts. I felt like I was beaten over the head with reminders about Chloe’s illness to the point where she became nearly intolerable to me – not to mention the fact that her personality was just pretty much intolerable. (And trust that I can get on board with a character who isn’t Mary Sunshine because I loved The Cactus and everyone else hated that poor broad.) So much time was spent in Chloe’s head with her talking about herself that some important issues failed to get explained. Like, maybe her fiancé was a douchecanoe who couldn’t handle marrying someone with a forever type of illness, but seriously ALL of her friends were assholes too? And her family????? (Who, by the way, were ALWAYS there for her whenever she needed them and sat on a wad of dough so she never had to worry about finances either.) It seemed to me like it was Chloe herself who turned into a hermit/thought of her diagnosis as a death sentence because no evidence was given to the contrary. Unfortunately her redemption arc didn’t come until the 70% mark so by then it was too little too late for me to decide I liked her after all.
Obviously the rating was already going to take a hit due to this personality conflict, but I did (and still do) love the premise that Chloe needed to take her life back. And I loved that she was a curvy girl. And I always love some diversity. And I loved Smudge the cat. I didn’t love Red but I didn’t hate him either so that wasn’t the worst. And I was prepared for there to be a bit of steam because I is smort and you can only fool me once with that "a cartoon cover means PG sexytimes" (looking at you The Kiss Quotient). Buuuuuuuuuuuuuut, I was not prepared for this snooty upperclass leading lady to refer to her own bits as the “P Word” incessantly (like when she wasn’t actively engaged in intercourse or foreplay) . . . . .
If you know me, you know I��m not a prude, but I only tolerate that shit in a porno featuring motorcycle gang members or dudes who shift into things like wolves and bears in their spare time. And then when they had their first sexual encounter ON THE GODDAMN SIDEWALK IN FRONT OF A FUCKING PUBLIC STATUE??????
(Fez at the end there is everyone else who read this book and is not named Kelly or Mitchell.)
If my poor husband had the idea that he was going to be getting some action after this one, he was sadly mistaken . . . .
The bright side is I think this might have just been a fluke miss for me. I’ll definitely give this author another go.
May 9, 2022
(Throwback Review) This book started brilliantly. The humor was spot on in the initial part, and I enjoyed reading the cat in the tree part. I felt that the sex is mentioned in a cringy manner in the latter half. Still, we will love the way Talia Hibbert wrote this book. If you are an adult who loves reading romantic fiction, this will be a great choice.
December 5, 2019
4.5 stars.
Get a Life, Chloe Brown is a rom-com that really made me think. (Plus: super steamy.)
Chloe Brown is feisty and independent, but the chronic pain of her fibromyalgia leaves her choosing the safe path more often than not, and she doesn't let people help her for fear she’ll be a burden.
"She hadn't always been like this, a tongue with the tip bitten off, her feelings squashed into a box. But help and concern, even from the people she loved—even when she needed it—had a way of grating. Of building up, or rather, grinding down. Truthfully, guiltily, sometimes simple gratitude tasted like barely sweetened resentment in her mouth."
When she nearly escapes being hit by a car, Chloe realizes her life has lacked excitement, so she—a compulsive list-maker—puts together a list of items she wants to accomplish. Things like enjoy a drunken night out, go camping, and have meaningless but thoroughly enjoyable sex.
Although she and her building’s superintendent, the handsome Redford (Red) Morgan, seem to hate the very sight of each other, there’s much more to him than meets the eye. He’s artistic, kind to everyone (but her), and sexy as hell. Chloe starts to realize that maybe Red can help her cross some items off her list—perhaps in exchange for creating a website to sell his art.
Of course, if you read rom-coms, you know how often hatred masks chemistry and strong attraction to one another, and Chloe and Red are no different. But there’s far more to this story than meets the eye. Both are vulnerable, both bear the painful scars of past hurts which keep them from moving on. Can they allow themselves the luxury of giving in to their feelings, no matter what the risk?
"Love isn’t safe, as that story proves. But is it worth it?"
What struck me about this book is the amount of depth Talia Hibbert gave to both of her main characters, not just Chloe. It’s one of the first rom-coms I’ve read where the male character is as vulnerable as the female, and it really deepened the narrative and my investment in the story. I also thought Chloe’s fibromyalgia was treated with real seriousness—it’s rare you see a character in a rom-com deal with this sort of challenge, and I know that these are real battles that those living with fibromyalgia have to deal with on a daily basis.
This was really enjoyable, although as happens so often in this type of book, I wanted to shake these characters into saying what’s on their mind instead of assuming the wrong thing, to save all of us grief. But that won't stop me from eagerly awaiting Hibbert’s follow-up, which will feature one of Chloe’s sisters.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
You can follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
Get a Life, Chloe Brown is a rom-com that really made me think. (Plus: super steamy.)
Chloe Brown is feisty and independent, but the chronic pain of her fibromyalgia leaves her choosing the safe path more often than not, and she doesn't let people help her for fear she’ll be a burden.
"She hadn't always been like this, a tongue with the tip bitten off, her feelings squashed into a box. But help and concern, even from the people she loved—even when she needed it—had a way of grating. Of building up, or rather, grinding down. Truthfully, guiltily, sometimes simple gratitude tasted like barely sweetened resentment in her mouth."
When she nearly escapes being hit by a car, Chloe realizes her life has lacked excitement, so she—a compulsive list-maker—puts together a list of items she wants to accomplish. Things like enjoy a drunken night out, go camping, and have meaningless but thoroughly enjoyable sex.
Although she and her building’s superintendent, the handsome Redford (Red) Morgan, seem to hate the very sight of each other, there’s much more to him than meets the eye. He’s artistic, kind to everyone (but her), and sexy as hell. Chloe starts to realize that maybe Red can help her cross some items off her list—perhaps in exchange for creating a website to sell his art.
Of course, if you read rom-coms, you know how often hatred masks chemistry and strong attraction to one another, and Chloe and Red are no different. But there’s far more to this story than meets the eye. Both are vulnerable, both bear the painful scars of past hurts which keep them from moving on. Can they allow themselves the luxury of giving in to their feelings, no matter what the risk?
"Love isn’t safe, as that story proves. But is it worth it?"
What struck me about this book is the amount of depth Talia Hibbert gave to both of her main characters, not just Chloe. It’s one of the first rom-coms I’ve read where the male character is as vulnerable as the female, and it really deepened the narrative and my investment in the story. I also thought Chloe’s fibromyalgia was treated with real seriousness—it’s rare you see a character in a rom-com deal with this sort of challenge, and I know that these are real battles that those living with fibromyalgia have to deal with on a daily basis.
This was really enjoyable, although as happens so often in this type of book, I wanted to shake these characters into saying what’s on their mind instead of assuming the wrong thing, to save all of us grief. But that won't stop me from eagerly awaiting Hibbert’s follow-up, which will feature one of Chloe’s sisters.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
You can follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
December 21, 2020
I don't know what's wrong with me, but I didn't really enjoy this book 😭 I've had this marked as In Progress for weeks and I just never found myself picking this up over something else. I can totally understand why other people loved this book, but it just didn't hold my interest and I don't know why 😫 This is definitely an "it's not you it's me" type of scenario.
June 27, 2020
This was so freaking cute. This was the first book I finished for Romanceathon and I can't get over how cute this book is. Chloe Brown is such a sarcastic, hilarious character and I feel like there's so much important representation within her character because she's British, she's Black and she has a chronic illness that gives her chronic pain, which I don't think I've ever read about a character in a romance who suffers from chronic pain.
Talia Hibbert's writing is such a breath of fresh air and these two characters have so much chemistry and they're so adorable. I love that her love interest Red is simultaneously giving off bad boy vibes with his motorcycle, but he's also the biggest softie ever and he's a painter, everything about him was swoon-worthy. And learning more about his past just made me feel even more for him, and I absolutely adored their relationship.
I love stories that follow sisters and the Brown sisters are seriously the cutest, and I'm so stoked that this series exists and I'm so happy I read this!!
Talia Hibbert's writing is such a breath of fresh air and these two characters have so much chemistry and they're so adorable. I love that her love interest Red is simultaneously giving off bad boy vibes with his motorcycle, but he's also the biggest softie ever and he's a painter, everything about him was swoon-worthy. And learning more about his past just made me feel even more for him, and I absolutely adored their relationship.
I love stories that follow sisters and the Brown sisters are seriously the cutest, and I'm so stoked that this series exists and I'm so happy I read this!!
August 25, 2020
4.5 stars
I absolutely loved this book so much. Chloe Brown as a character was one of my favorite parts of the book; I found her to be so funny and loved her sarcasm so much. I also really enjoyed Red as a character too and particularly loved his scene when he explains his past. The characters both just felt so well developed in my opinion. The romance was also adorable and I shipped them so much! The only reason it’s not the full 5 stars for me is because during the steamy scenes, two particular words were used several times, and I just couldn’t take them seriously. However, if anyone is looking for a new adult romance book to read, I would highly recommend picking this up!
I also did a reading vlog on the book on my YouTube channel, you can check out the video here to hear more of my thoughts: https://youtu.be/iNfmdqmrmsw
I absolutely loved this book so much. Chloe Brown as a character was one of my favorite parts of the book; I found her to be so funny and loved her sarcasm so much. I also really enjoyed Red as a character too and particularly loved his scene when he explains his past. The characters both just felt so well developed in my opinion. The romance was also adorable and I shipped them so much! The only reason it’s not the full 5 stars for me is because during the steamy scenes, two particular words were used several times, and I just couldn’t take them seriously. However, if anyone is looking for a new adult romance book to read, I would highly recommend picking this up!
I also did a reading vlog on the book on my YouTube channel, you can check out the video here to hear more of my thoughts: https://youtu.be/iNfmdqmrmsw
October 27, 2019
This is a lovely rom-com by Talia Hibbert, set in Nottinghamshire featuring IT website designing geek, Chloe Brown, whose life was ripped apart 10 years ago when she suffered a debilitating bout of pneumonia, which left her so weak and exposed further health issues. She suffers from chronic pain, Fibromyalgia, an invisible disability that affects every aspect of her life, leaving her dependent on a mass of daily medications. She has good days and bad days, often breathless, easily tired, often needing to sleep in the day and having disturbed painful nights. She has become a very different woman from her pre-fibromyalgia days, she wasn't believed about her illness initially, and lost all her friends and fiance, Henry. This has left her with an inability to trust and a zero social life. The only people she has been able to rely on are her wealthy family, particularly her free spirit of a grandmother, Gigi, and her sisters, Dani and Eve.
After coming close to death, Chloe is jolted into the need to change her boring life as she compiles her Get a life list. She wants to live an independent life, and moves into a ground floor flat equipped with disability features in a block of flats, with a superintendent serving as a handyman, Redmond 'Red' Morgan. The two of them awkwardly avoid each other, until the day Chloe gets stuck in a tree rescuing a cat, and Red comes to her aid. Chloe decides to keep the cat, naming it Smudge, unless the owner emerges. On closer inspection of Red, including some illicit spying on him painting at night in his flat, Chloe feels that he is the ideal person to help her achieve some items on her Get a Life list, such as riding a motorbike, going camping, going out partying and getting blind drunk. Red has a disturbing past that has given him reasons to beware of rich women, and left him with low self esteem as a artist, and so Chloe sets off all his trigger points, but despite this he can't help becoming drawn to her. Chloe and Red's traumatic pasts pose substantial obstacles in their relationship, will they be able to negotiate their way past them?
There is plenty of humour and warmth in Talia Hibbert's story of love, art, mental health issues, abuse, and a richly detailed picture of the everyday impact of someone suffering from Fibromyalgia with Chloe. There are serious and heavy duty issues in this irresistible romantic comedy with a difference, with its diverse protagonists, and their complex lives. This is a entertaining and comic read which I enjoyed, and I see that this is the first in a series, I am already looking forward to reading the next book! Many thanks to Little, Brown for an ARC.
After coming close to death, Chloe is jolted into the need to change her boring life as she compiles her Get a life list. She wants to live an independent life, and moves into a ground floor flat equipped with disability features in a block of flats, with a superintendent serving as a handyman, Redmond 'Red' Morgan. The two of them awkwardly avoid each other, until the day Chloe gets stuck in a tree rescuing a cat, and Red comes to her aid. Chloe decides to keep the cat, naming it Smudge, unless the owner emerges. On closer inspection of Red, including some illicit spying on him painting at night in his flat, Chloe feels that he is the ideal person to help her achieve some items on her Get a Life list, such as riding a motorbike, going camping, going out partying and getting blind drunk. Red has a disturbing past that has given him reasons to beware of rich women, and left him with low self esteem as a artist, and so Chloe sets off all his trigger points, but despite this he can't help becoming drawn to her. Chloe and Red's traumatic pasts pose substantial obstacles in their relationship, will they be able to negotiate their way past them?
There is plenty of humour and warmth in Talia Hibbert's story of love, art, mental health issues, abuse, and a richly detailed picture of the everyday impact of someone suffering from Fibromyalgia with Chloe. There are serious and heavy duty issues in this irresistible romantic comedy with a difference, with its diverse protagonists, and their complex lives. This is a entertaining and comic read which I enjoyed, and I see that this is the first in a series, I am already looking forward to reading the next book! Many thanks to Little, Brown for an ARC.
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