You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
I just like that it's a love story featuring a character with autism.
Talia Hibbert is quite solidly my favorite romance writer, and it's been super fun checking out the books she published prior to the Brown Sisters series, and seeing how her work has evolved over time. Personally, I think she has grown in the comedic aspect of some of her more rom-com-y romances, but her gifts for writing wry heroines and smutty scenes are on full display!
This, as always, has great diversity and representation — Hibbert is particularly great at writing characters with ASD, given her own lived experience, and Ruth was appropriately well-rounded and complex. Hibbert refuses to reduce any character or trait to a simple stereotype, and lets her characters be flawed and human and messy sometimes, but always worthy of love. Not to mention, the way she handled writing about an abusive relationship and dealing with discrimination and racism in a small town was really eye-opening, and goes to show that abusive relationships do not look one way or another, and that their repercussions are often long-lasting, but do not make someone broken or unloveable.
Evan was a great romantic hero, but I do think a bit of his depth was sacrificed in service of the larger story. I would have liked to a bit of a deeper exploration into how he navigated life post-military — there were aspects of this, for sure, but I could have gone for more — and while his grief at losing his mother was a major aspect of his life, the side story with Zach's family and his own dying mother felt a bit unresolved once his relationship with Ruth got going and his arc got more subsumed into hers. But they were great together, and their banter was unmatched. Plus, you have to love a romance hero who woos you with steaming casserole dishes full of shepherd's pie!
Another sweet yet undeniably steamy romance from Talia Hibbert in the books! I have a few more of her books on my Kindle, and I'm definitely interested in finishing out the Ravenswood series, including the next book that features Ruth's sister Hannah, whose story intrigued me in this book.
This, as always, has great diversity and representation — Hibbert is particularly great at writing characters with ASD, given her own lived experience, and Ruth was appropriately well-rounded and complex. Hibbert refuses to reduce any character or trait to a simple stereotype, and lets her characters be flawed and human and messy sometimes, but always worthy of love. Not to mention, the way she handled writing about an abusive relationship and dealing with discrimination and racism in a small town was really eye-opening, and goes to show that abusive relationships do not look one way or another, and that their repercussions are often long-lasting, but do not make someone broken or unloveable.
Evan was a great romantic hero, but I do think a bit of his depth was sacrificed in service of the larger story. I would have liked to a bit of a deeper exploration into how he navigated life post-military — there were aspects of this, for sure, but I could have gone for more — and while his grief at losing his mother was a major aspect of his life, the side story with Zach's family and his own dying mother felt a bit unresolved once his relationship with Ruth got going and his arc got more subsumed into hers. But they were great together, and their banter was unmatched. Plus, you have to love a romance hero who woos you with steaming casserole dishes full of shepherd's pie!
Another sweet yet undeniably steamy romance from Talia Hibbert in the books! I have a few more of her books on my Kindle, and I'm definitely interested in finishing out the Ravenswood series, including the next book that features Ruth's sister Hannah, whose story intrigued me in this book.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
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:
No
Another good book by Talia Hibbert. Ruth is an autistic social outcast in a small town. She rarely leaves the house and talks only to her family and online friends until her new neighbor stops by with a homemade shepard's pie. This sets of a chain of events that brings Ruth back out in public and ready to face the townsfolk.
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.25 Stars
Loved it! So much!
I’ll try to get some words to form in my brain and write a review soon!
Loved it! So much!
I’ll try to get some words to form in my brain and write a review soon!
emotional
funny
hopeful
relaxing
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
4.5/5
Summer 2022:
2nd re-read and I still found it as sweet and spicy as the first read.
Summer 2021:
Review of this sweet romance coming soon.
Summer 2022:
2nd re-read and I still found it as sweet and spicy as the first read.
Summer 2021:
Review of this sweet romance coming soon.
+ Ruth is great character. I like her personality and quirks. Can't speak on autism representation but I can say she was interesting enough to catch my attention.
- Evan is a wet blanket of a hero. We get it, he's nice. But that's literally it. His military past had no impact on the story whatsoever.
+ I digged the whole "town harlot" plot. I was interested in the backstory and surprised, when it was explained.
- The chemistry just wasn't there. In my mind i friendzoned everyone imediately and it did nothing with me when we hit the spicy passages.
+ Zack
- Do all black people really have to smell of cocoa? Not to mention I was surprised when being hit with Ruth's blackness 40% in. And her most attractive feature are her big front teeth? Colour me doubtfull. The sudden hints of fatness were also out of nowhere and felt incredibly forced.
+- Male narrator? I was about to refund the audiobook in 5 minutes. But I couldn't :) So I finished it. The narration took some time getting used to and I'll definitely make sure in future I listen to samples. Very thicc accent, blank voice, I felt like listening to sea life documentary at parts.
- last 20% of the book were so boring and the epilogue was just unnecessary and unsexy.
- Evan is a wet blanket of a hero. We get it, he's nice. But that's literally it. His military past had no impact on the story whatsoever.
+ I digged the whole "town harlot" plot. I was interested in the backstory and surprised, when it was explained.
- The chemistry just wasn't there. In my mind i friendzoned everyone imediately and it did nothing with me when we hit the spicy passages.
+ Zack
- Do all black people really have to smell of cocoa? Not to mention I was surprised when being hit with Ruth's blackness 40% in. And her most attractive feature are her big front teeth? Colour me doubtfull. The sudden hints of fatness were also out of nowhere and felt incredibly forced.
+- Male narrator? I was about to refund the audiobook in 5 minutes. But I couldn't :) So I finished it. The narration took some time getting used to and I'll definitely make sure in future I listen to samples. Very thicc accent, blank voice, I felt like listening to sea life documentary at parts.
- last 20% of the book were so boring and the epilogue was just unnecessary and unsexy.