Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert

37 reviews

lewnie's review

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emotional funny hopeful relaxing 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

5.0

 
Chloe Brown copes with her chronic pain by organizing and compartmentalizing and shutting people out. After her so-called friends and her fiance stopped coming around, she decided that she didn’t need things in her life like love. She is just fine living at home with her  academically-minded parents, her eccentric grandmother, and her two sisters. But after an almost-accident causes her life to flash before her eyes, she realizes that she needs to live a little. So Chloe moves out and makes a list that will fulfill her resolution to get a life. But what she doesn’t have on her list is Red Morgan. The big, tattooed, motorcycle riding artist-turned-flat superintendent isn’t too keen on Chloe. She’s too posh and stuck-up to want anything to do with him. But she’s also incredibly beautiful and he just can’t help himself. When Red agrees to help Chloe with her list in exchange for working on a website for his art, sparks fly. 

The good: REDFORD FREAKING MORGAN. My god.

But seriously. I loved everything about this book: Chloe, and Red, and their relationship, and obviously Smudge. This was by far the best relationship I’ve ever read in a romance novel. They really try to talk to each other and understand each other, even when there are miscommunications. And there are, because this is a romance novel– amiright? 

The bad: Literally nothing. 

Overall: I can’t believe I hadn’t read this before. Maybe the art on the cover deceived me or something, because this was sublime. The relationship was impeccable. The representation was everything I have been wanting out of a romcom. The love interest? *chef’s kiss*. There is a cat and cardigans and trauma and love and healing. I just cannot recommend this one enough. 

Representation: Black FMC, Black supporting characters, LGBTQ+ supporting character, FMC has a disability.

CW: sexual content, chronic illness, toxic relationship, panic disorders, cursing, ableism, domestic abuse, medical content, physical abuse, mental illness, car accident, medical trauma, gaslighting, classism, drug use (for medical purposes).

 

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cami7's review against another edition

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emotional funny 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

3.5


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sorcha_rosa's review against another edition

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funny hopeful 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

4.0

I really loved this book. Chloe was so relatable in terms of my personal experience and I really enjoyed that. Such a cute story!

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katrinasherise's review

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emotional funny medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0


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aidamaria_reads's review

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emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted relaxing 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

4.5

I finished this book in merely two sittings, simply because you know, a chronically ill woman reading about another chronically ill woman’s love life gets reminded of the fact that she should get some sleep once in a while. Do I still cringe at certain descriptions in romance novels? For sure. Am I still convinced this book is revolutionary in more ways than one? No doubt about it.

The representation in this book means so much to me, as someone who’s been struggling with chronic pain, fatigue and the insecurities that come along with it for free. Be sure to pick it up if you like the enemies-to-lovers trope with a dual point of view, love cats just as much as I do, are into artsy guys and can strongly identify with a disabled, Black and/or curvy female protagonist. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5 out of 5 stars) from me!

Although I’d say the writing style isn’t anything extraordinary, it’s a quick and fun read and even though there were a little too many sh*ts and f*cks and other inappropriate words according to my personal taste (I’m more of a poetic descriptions kinda gal), I’m sure this book (especially Red’s way of paying attention to and caring for Chloe) will hold a place in my heart for quite a while.

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darineelbakry's review

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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

4.75


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ewy's review

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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

4.5


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mariekejee's review

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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

4.0

Funny, sexy, heart-warming. What more do you want in a romance?

I'm not a big fan of the romance genre, but every once in a while it's nice to turn off your brain and just enjoy some fluff or smut. This book has both, and does both pretty well. I tried the book once and was turned off immediately by the way the main character talks - she is very posh, and British, and odd. I tried it again and due to the fact I was stuck on my flight with nothing to entertain me but my phone stuck on airplane mode, I was able to power through and get used to it and to Chloe, our main character.

The only complaint I have is that the latter half of this book, like many romances, just doesn't really do it for me. There always needs to be some big misunderstanding that can easily be solved by just fucking talking to eachother that drives the story to its completion, and I get it, but it still annoys me. Also,
these people fall in love like it's nothing, and that threw me off as well
. Also also, I dislike this trope of the love interest having some blue collar job he secretly hates but actually being a very talented artist that isn't making his money off of his art because of XYZ (looking at you, The Kiss Quotient). At least our MC enjoys being a superintendent and doesn't secretly hate his job. But please, romance writers, a love interest can sometimes just be a plumber that just likes his job and doesn't have any great ambitions to be on Forbes' 30 under 30 list.

That said, I think this romance was very well done. I believed every part of it, and I wasn't annoyed by the will-they-won't-they, because unlike the typical "two hot people believing the other person just is too perfect and doesn't actually like them like that" spiel, they actually have some meaningful conflict to overcome. I enjoyed my time with this book thoroughly, and I'd like to see what Talia Hibbert has in store for Dani in Take a Hint, Dani Brown.

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lasafica_reads'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? Yes

4.75


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monicavillasb's review against another edition

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funny hopeful 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

4.75


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