Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert

90 reviews

witcheep's review against another edition

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emotional funny 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

4.0

I love how the focus of the characters' isn't on their problems or hardships, but finding ways to work through or around them in a satisfying way.

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lesliehirgelt's review against another edition

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emotional funny inspiring lighthearted relaxing 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

4.25


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noodlesny's review against another edition

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funny hopeful 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? It's complicated

4.5


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emlittle's review against another edition

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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!!

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jessiiiru's review against another edition

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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


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duchesseducool's review against another edition

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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


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leonormsousa's review against another edition

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emotional 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? No

4.0


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ashley_mrose530's review against another edition

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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

3.5

This was really cute and just what I needed after finishing that long high fantasy. I loved the representation in this! One of the main characters, Chloe, is a black curvy woman with tuberculosis and she is so funny! I love her determination and sense of humor and it was really great to learn more about tuberculosis through her.
I also loved Red. He was so sweet and always determined to make everyone feel safe and happy. I loved the diversity of his backstory.
It isn't often that you see a story about a male victim of abuse and I really appreciated having that in this story.
I think him and Chloe were really good together. He was always so respectful of her and her disability and I really loved their dynamic and teasing of each other.
This was a nice, easy read and I would definitely recommend it for anyone who is looking to diversify and loves rom-com stories.

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ellierumoo's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful 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

5.0

This book could've earned 4.5 stars for just for the fibromyalgia representation alone. I have never once felt so seen, and I will be sending this book to friends to help supplement their understanding of what I experience.
It earned a 5 because the characters really are wonderful, the romance is great, and they act quite believably given the backgrounds they both have.
I really didn't want the act 3 breakup, and thought for a moment that it might lower my rating, but when it was all said and done I think it was a beautiful illustration of the difference between useless chronic pain, and the types of growing pains that we can't live without.

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zadsavage's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0


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