Reviews tagging 'Blood'

Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert

6 reviews

fuzzywilson's review against another edition

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challenging emotional sad 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

4.0

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emily_mh'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

4.5

This was an enjoyable romance with lots of sweetness and domestic moments. Admittedly, fake dating isn’t my favourite trope but it was done so well here, I think because the MCs were friends beforehand and all their loved ones were clued in. 

Dani and Zaf had palpable romantic chemistry - I was never left in doubt of that for a second. Their romance (and the book in general) was paced so well so that every stage of their connection made sense. I think what helped with this was again the fact that they were friends before the book even started. 

But what I love about this series is that both MCs have more going on than the romance and they undergo so much development. Zaf is figuring out how to stop being afraid of his grief so that he can remember his father and brother without feeling scared. He’s also working at making his charity Tackle It the best it can be, and on managing his Generalised Anxiety Disorder. Dani was such a dynamic MC. Her development is centred on her self-worth, but at the same time the narrative shows how much she loves herself and how confident she is. I loved that Hibbert showed how both situations can co-exist. The story also explores Dani finding a healthier relationship with her work, and I loved that this was Dani’s decision, not something she felt pressured into. 

The female relationships are so strong within this book. Dani’s one with her sisters is so natural and loving, and I appreciated that she doesn’t sacrifice time with them for time with Zaf. Both Gigi and Inez Holly take on kind of mentor roles with Dani, so I loved that she had support from older women. Sorcha was such a great best friend to Dani because she pushed her and called her out, but never in an unloving or inconsiderate way, and they got to practice religion together. I also love how Dani handled the situation with her ex-friend. The women in Zaf’s life were stellar too. I loved how Zaf treated Kiran as if she were his blood sister, and how they supported one another. Zaf’s mother was funny and I loved that Fatima was so close to her uncle, and like Sorcha with Dani, pushed him to be his best. 

Finally, I appreciated that the third-act breakup comprised of both of them messing up. It worked much better because I think just one character grovelling can change the dynamics of the relationship. 

I’ll end this review with my favourite quote from the book: “The trouble was, building a conclusion based on irrelevant or unreliable sources never worked. And when it came to Dani’s worthiness, the only source she should really value was herself.” 

Rep: Black bisexual MC who is also a witch, Muslim British-Pakistani MC with GAD, lesbian (word not used, gay used instead) minor character of the global majority (ethnicity not stated), Muslim British-Pakistani SCs 
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marissasa'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

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!
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ramreadsagain's review against another edition

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emotional funny 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

4.75

The first time I've enjoyed Book 2 in a series better than Book 1 (Get a Life, Chloe Brown, though I still loved that too). 

This was such a perfect romance for me, I love both the friends to lovers and the fake dating tropes and this has both of those. Plus a bisexual plus-sized main character! Hardly any miscommunication and what was there was done excellently. 

The male love interest was absolutely perfect, which I very rarely say. I loved him so much. Dani was incredible and absolute life goals. I loved how they both work through their issues and felt like such realistic characters (though Dani did feel a bit unrealistically immature at times). Spice was top notch too.

So yeah overall I absolutely adored every minute of this.
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toofondofbooks_'s review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted sad 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

5.0

I loved this book *so* much. I love Dani Brown as a character, I love our leading man, Zafir (literally the sweetest and cutest man ever put on a page), and everything that happened within this romance felt earned and rewarding. The chemistry was so on point and the banter had me laughing on almost every page. Everyone told me that I was going to like this more than I liked Chloe Brown, and since Chloe Brown is one of my favorites of this year, I didn't really believe it, but I definitely love this one even more. This book also had excellent mental health representation that really meant a lot to me.
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writtenbydnicole's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful reflective 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
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