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marissasa's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This romance was cute and easy to read and did the fake dating trope really well. There usually isn't a good reason for characters to fake date other than convincing friends or family members that they are in a relationship, but in this one the whole social media publicity scheme made sense plot-wise and motivation-wise for both Dani and Zaf. I loved that the characters felt layered and realistic with their personalities and emotions, especially the depictions of Zaf's anxiety and Dani's struggle to take care of herself while being an overworking grad student. I was rooting for these two the whole time and definitely felt like they were meant to be together because of how well they connected and how they could have both silly banter and emotional moments where they opened up to each other. It was lovely to see Zaf take care of Dani and to see Dani give Zaf confidence and reassurance. I'd def recommend this romance to anyone craving a diverse story where the characters actually communicate and fall in love in a realistic way!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Car accident, Death of parent, Death, Mental illness, Grief, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
Minor: Blood and Bullying
theespressoedition's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This review deserves a bit of a story to preface it. I read Get a Life, Chloe Brown a couple of years ago and really struggled with it. While everyone else praised the chronic illness/pain rep, it made me angry. As someone who has a chronic illness, I was frustrated at the way Chloe's was portrayed - something that could flare up horribly and yet moments later she'd be asking for harder, faster sex. It just didn't seem realistic in the slightest for someone who actually deals with that level of discomfort on a daily basis. After finishing it, I pretty much vowed to myself that I wouldn't be picking up any future installations in The Brown Sisters series.
After I finished every audiobook on my TBR for the month, I had a craving for a romcom. On a whim, I decided to read the synopsis for Take a Hint, Dani Brown. Firstly, it wasn't enemies-to-lovers (a huge plus in my book since that's my least favorite trope) and secondly, it had anxiety rep. Now, I was weary since the rep in the first book really didn't suit me and anxiety is something I find the need to see portrayed properly. That being said, I chose to give the book a go, leaving myself the option to DNF if I needed to (something I rarely, if ever, do).
I was only about 25% through the book when I realized something: I was loving it. This came as a shock, as I'm sure you can understand. I gobbled up the entire story in just over a day and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Not only was the anxiety rep really good (not necessarily the best I've ever seen, but it was an accurate portrayal of anxiety and panic attacks - plus, the way that they were dealt with was a great example to anyone else who either lives with anxiety or knows someone who does and wants to support), but the chemistry between the characters was fantastic. It also had fake dating, he falls first, and "get it out of our system" - which are all favorite tropes for me. Needless to say, it was very entertaining and sweet.
This redeemed Talia Hibbert's writing in my eyes and while I'm still nervous to read the third book, I do plan on giving it a go (especially since most of my close reader friends have told me that it's the best in the series). I'm hoping that I'll wind up enjoying it as much as this one. I'm glad that I gave The Brown Sisters a second chance and read this!
After I finished every audiobook on my TBR for the month, I had a craving for a romcom. On a whim, I decided to read the synopsis for Take a Hint, Dani Brown. Firstly, it wasn't enemies-to-lovers (a huge plus in my book since that's my least favorite trope) and secondly, it had anxiety rep. Now, I was weary since the rep in the first book really didn't suit me and anxiety is something I find the need to see portrayed properly. That being said, I chose to give the book a go, leaving myself the option to DNF if I needed to (something I rarely, if ever, do).
I was only about 25% through the book when I realized something: I was loving it. This came as a shock, as I'm sure you can understand. I gobbled up the entire story in just over a day and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Not only was the anxiety rep really good (not necessarily the best I've ever seen, but it was an accurate portrayal of anxiety and panic attacks - plus, the way that they were dealt with was a great example to anyone else who either lives with anxiety or knows someone who does and wants to support), but the chemistry between the characters was fantastic. It also had fake dating, he falls first, and "get it out of our system" - which are all favorite tropes for me. Needless to say, it was very entertaining and sweet.
This redeemed Talia Hibbert's writing in my eyes and while I'm still nervous to read the third book, I do plan on giving it a go (especially since most of my close reader friends have told me that it's the best in the series). I'm hoping that I'll wind up enjoying it as much as this one. I'm glad that I gave The Brown Sisters a second chance and read this!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Sexual content
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Bullying, and Car accident
kyrstin_p1989's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
While I could see glimpses of myself in all 3 Brown sisters, Dani resonates with me most of all. Reading about — a confident woman who is so often full of self-doubt and fear, the girl who was always smart, nerdy, and preferred books and learning to building relationships with people growing up to be the academic chasing her phd dreams, the witchy woman with wild and shocking hair — was like looking into a mirror. This book was sweet and sexy and funny. The characters are relatable and loveable. The plot is believable and best of all it’s a friends to lovers trope instead of enemies to lovers! All the romance tropes are silly to me, but Hibbert can do them all well, and this novel is no different. Finally, the spicy scenes didn’t let me down, either.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Grief, Bullying, Car accident, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Cursing, and Islamophobia
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