Scan barcode
emlittle's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Overall thoughts: Talia Hibbert continues to snag my heart. I first read “Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute”, and was so excited to get into her adult books starting with the Brown sisters trilogy. The story was sweet and fun while maintain Hibbert’s trademark of dealing with an unpleasant reality without it feeling defeating. Simply put, I loved it ♡
I adore Hibbert for writing romance for the people we don’t typically see getting romance: those who are disabled, have mental illnesses, or are chronically ill; characters who for one reason or another aren’t seen as a typical love interest. Chloe Brown has fibromyalgia, an illness that leaves her exhausted and in pain often. It’s revealed that in her past, people often leave her life when they feel her illness makes her “too much”, including a fiancé. But Hibbert makes her the beautiful, desirable female main character in a love story because Chloe can have an illness AND be all of those things. This book is one of those “i just love that it exists” cases, because I love that women with chronic illness/pain get to see themselves in a story where they’re not desirable IN SPITE of their illness, but are desirable and the illness is accepted and worked with- Redford Morgan is a book boyfriend everyone should aspire to.
Speaking of our leading man, Red Morgan’s story is equally special. While he’s the tall, well muscled, and handsome main man in a romance, he’s also been traumatized by a mentally and emotionally abusive relationship. We get to see him go to therapy, begin to unpack that, and implement coping mechanisms. This makes me particularly happy knowing this trilogy is on its way to the screen- someone needs to tell men it’s okay to go to therapy.
There were two elements that took this from a 5 to a 4 star read for me:
A third act break up. No further explanations.
Sometimes I struggle when two characters who dislike each other already know each other and the author tells us how much they dislike each other instead of us getting to see the dislike form/grow. It unfortunately made some of the writing at the beginning of the story a tad bit repetitive
That said, I still thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was fun, engaging, real, and ~*steamy*~ when needed. I loved both of the characters and loved seeing their story unfold and connection grow even more. I’m really excited to read the other sisters’ stories!!
I adore Hibbert for writing romance for the people we don’t typically see getting romance: those who are disabled, have mental illnesses, or are chronically ill; characters who for one reason or another aren’t seen as a typical love interest. Chloe Brown has fibromyalgia, an illness that leaves her exhausted and in pain often. It’s revealed that in her past, people often leave her life when they feel her illness makes her “too much”, including a fiancé. But Hibbert makes her the beautiful, desirable female main character in a love story because Chloe can have an illness AND be all of those things. This book is one of those “i just love that it exists” cases, because I love that women with chronic illness/pain get to see themselves in a story where they’re not desirable IN SPITE of their illness, but are desirable and the illness is accepted and worked with- Redford Morgan is a book boyfriend everyone should aspire to.
Speaking of our leading man, Red Morgan’s story is equally special. While he’s the tall, well muscled, and handsome main man in a romance, he’s also been traumatized by a mentally and emotionally abusive relationship. We get to see him go to therapy, begin to unpack that, and implement coping mechanisms. This makes me particularly happy knowing this trilogy is on its way to the screen- someone needs to tell men it’s okay to go to therapy.
There were two elements that took this from a 5 to a 4 star read for me:
A third act break up. No further explanations.
Sometimes I struggle when two characters who dislike each other already know each other and the author tells us how much they dislike each other instead of us getting to see the dislike form/grow. It unfortunately made some of the writing at the beginning of the story a tad bit repetitive
That said, I still thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was fun, engaging, real, and ~*steamy*~ when needed. I loved both of the characters and loved seeing their story unfold and connection grow even more. I’m really excited to read the other sisters’ stories!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Medical content, and Gaslighting
jessiiiru's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness
Minor: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
caelinsullivan's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
fast-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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Medical trauma
murve's review against another edition
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
duchesseducool's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Car accident, Gaslighting, and Classism
Minor: Sexual assault
panic_at_the_bookshelf's review against another edition
While the disability rep was amazing, more than half of the book is about the characters thinking about smutty things, talking about smutty things and doing smutty things.
A lot of stuff felt so repetitive. Each time a new smut scene appeared it felt so similar to the last one. Not to mention some scenes had such a weird build up and many things were said in a rather weird way. One sentence in particular creeped me out and that's the moment I decided to not finish this book. It clearly is not meant for me.
A lot of stuff felt so repetitive. Each time a new smut scene appeared it felt so similar to the last one. Not to mention some scenes had such a weird build up and many things were said in a rather weird way. One sentence in particular creeped me out and that's the moment I decided to not finish this book. It clearly is not meant for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Medical content
bibliomich's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
What I loved:
- This was a true romantic comedy (emphasis on the comedy).
- Hibbert is a master of writing chemistry and spice. 🌶
- The protagonist’s struggle with fibromyalgia is written in a really authentic way, and I appreciated that the character was surrounded by supportive loved ones.
What didn't quite work for me:
- The pacing felt a little off. I felt like the enemies-to-lovers transition happened really quickly, and I would have loved to see their relationship evolve in a slower and more complex way.
- I also just wanted to see Chloe's other relationships developed out a bit more. It was clear that her sisters were an integral part of her life, but I felt like those relationships weren't given quite as much attention as they could have been.
Overall, I enjoyed this one & would happily read more of Talia Hibbert's books!
- This was a true romantic comedy (emphasis on the comedy).
- Hibbert is a master of writing chemistry and spice. 🌶
- The protagonist’s struggle with fibromyalgia is written in a really authentic way, and I appreciated that the character was surrounded by supportive loved ones.
What didn't quite work for me:
- The pacing felt a little off. I felt like the enemies-to-lovers transition happened really quickly, and I would have loved to see their relationship evolve in a slower and more complex way.
- I also just wanted to see Chloe's other relationships developed out a bit more. It was clear that her sisters were an integral part of her life, but I felt like those relationships weren't given quite as much attention as they could have been.
Overall, I enjoyed this one & would happily read more of Talia Hibbert's books!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness
Minor: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
jamie_cruz's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
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 was such a cute read, and I loved Chlo and Red.
Usually, I've read books with chronic illness, and they really just state how the mc is tired and not go into depth of the pain, and the other effects come into play. Talia did amazing describing how pain goes in your day to day life, and the feeling you get for feeling such pain especially how doctors don't really understand until you've told them 100,000 times. I know Chloe will stay my favorite. I can't wait to read the other Brown sisters stories !
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Toxic relationship
Minor: Physical abuse
spellbindingtomes's review against another edition
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? No
4.5
𝘊𝘩𝘭𝘰𝘦 𝘉𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘵.
Get a Life, Chloe Brown is the first of The Brown Sisters series and it's an incredibly charming, yet steamy love story.
The chronic illness rep was eye opening to me. Chloe suffers from Fibromyalgia, a chronic disability that heavily impacts her day to day life. So much so she needs to take tons of medication. Some days are better than others, but she's become an expert in hiding her pain. Before she was even diagnosed, Chloe had shared that she was dismissed for YEARS by doctors not knowing what was wrong with her body and that broke my heart.
𝘊𝘩𝘭𝘰𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘦, 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴. 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦.
Red is so sweet and considerate. Whenever Chloe is around, he's attuned to everything about her - her feelings, the slightest change in her mannerisms, and her needs especially with her chronic pain. He truly sees her. On top of everything, Red is in complete awe of Chloe.
𝘚𝘩𝘦'𝘥 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘧𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴, 𝘴𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘢 𝘴𝘰𝘧𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘦. 𝘔𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘮 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘥, 𝘳𝘦-𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘦. 𝘔𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧.
Talia expertly weaves humor into this romance that touches on heavy topics. The narrative was hilarious. The banter between Chloe and Red was very entertaining and their chemistry was off the charts.
If you're looking for a diverse and steamy read with positive representation on plus-size FMCs and chronic disabilities, then definitely check this out!
Thank you @bookish_den for introducing Talia Hibbert to me for the 12x12 challenge! 🫶🏼
Get a Life, Chloe Brown is the first of The Brown Sisters series and it's an incredibly charming, yet steamy love story.
The chronic illness rep was eye opening to me. Chloe suffers from Fibromyalgia, a chronic disability that heavily impacts her day to day life. So much so she needs to take tons of medication. Some days are better than others, but she's become an expert in hiding her pain. Before she was even diagnosed, Chloe had shared that she was dismissed for YEARS by doctors not knowing what was wrong with her body and that broke my heart.
𝘊𝘩𝘭𝘰𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘦, 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴. 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦.
Red is so sweet and considerate. Whenever Chloe is around, he's attuned to everything about her - her feelings, the slightest change in her mannerisms, and her needs especially with her chronic pain. He truly sees her. On top of everything, Red is in complete awe of Chloe.
𝘚𝘩𝘦'𝘥 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘧𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴, 𝘴𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘢 𝘴𝘰𝘧𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘦. 𝘔𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘮 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘥, 𝘳𝘦-𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘦. 𝘔𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧.
Talia expertly weaves humor into this romance that touches on heavy topics. The narrative was hilarious. The banter between Chloe and Red was very entertaining and their chemistry was off the charts.
If you're looking for a diverse and steamy read with positive representation on plus-size FMCs and chronic disabilities, then definitely check this out!
Thank you @bookish_den for introducing Talia Hibbert to me for the 12x12 challenge! 🫶🏼
Content Warnings
Minor: Emotional abuse and Abandonment
mighty_lizard_queen's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-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
3.75
Would have been 4 stars but I never quite recovered from the 3rd act breakup. I’m not convinced she really should have forgiven him; he said some really hurtful things & the gifts felt like lovebombing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Sexual content, Car accident, and Abandonment
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Death, Racism, and Grief