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cady_sass's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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
1/4/23: DNF at 11% - I tried with the audiobook but I’m just hating it, I’m so sorry. I will try to pick up a physical copy and see if I like it better.
Update 4/17/23:
I am SO glad I gave this one a shot! It’s so fun and sexy but also relatable and inclusive. The main protagonist is chronically ill and not “traditionally” pretty/thin (ie western beauty standards) but neither of those things are the focus- they just are. And a love interest who just gets it and is a human about it? The bar is on the floor, ladies, I know. But that’s sexy and hell.
Also, side notes: I’m not sure why but I thought (perhaps some mixture of the title and cover art? Idk) and it is NOT. this book is spicy as hell. 🥵
Take my audiobook sensitivities with a grain of salt but I actually believe this audiobook is legit horrible so just skip that and read the book/ebook
Update 4/17/23:
I am SO glad I gave this one a shot! It’s so fun and sexy but also relatable and inclusive. The main protagonist is chronically ill and not “traditionally” pretty/thin (ie western beauty standards) but neither of those things are the focus- they just are. And a love interest who just gets it and is a human about it? The bar is on the floor, ladies, I know. But that’s sexy and hell.
Also, side notes: I’m not sure why but I thought (perhaps some mixture of the title and cover art? Idk) and it is NOT. this book is spicy as hell. 🥵
Take my audiobook sensitivities with a grain of salt but I actually believe this audiobook is legit horrible so just skip that and read the book/ebook
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Medical content, Body shaming, Classism, Drug use, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Ableism, Alcohol, Chronic illness, and Sexual content
rebecca_arielle's review against another edition
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content and Chronic illness
Moderate: Domestic abuse
alicelalicon's review against another edition
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? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Sexual content, Ableism, and Chronic illness
moonieness12's review
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Chronic illness, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Toxic friendship, and Violence
Minor: Death, Racism, and Grief
kellyskubic's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness and Medical content
Moderate: Drug use
Minor: Emotional abuse
bookswithlauren's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
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
Chloe Brown is not happy with the life that she has as a result of her chronic illness and she is determined to change that by making a list and ticking off every experience on said list. Chloe's journey is fun and light-hearted but also emotional and intense. Talia Hibbert has successfully written this book and created these characters and their experiences for people to identify with and relate to. I cannot wait to continue my way through the Brown Sisters trilogy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, Chronic illness, Drug use, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Car accident, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Medical content, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Physical abuse
maggiebreads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
- 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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Emotional abuse, and Medical content
thewordsdevourer's review
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
3.75
get a life, chloe brown is quite a pleasant surprise. i picked this up thinking it'd be a fast, lighthearted read, but it's so much more than that w/ its rep and heart.
this book has a rarely-represented heroine in chloe w/ her chronic pain, and i learn a lot the aforementioned while never feeling like the characters' multi-faceted identities overwhelm the story, instead being a natural part of the characters and their complex characterization. same goes for red w/ his history of an abusive relationship, equally hard to find - let alone deftly explored - in novels. i rly enjoy getting to know these two and coming to understand them, viewing their clash as inevitable yet completely understandable.
i also like hibbert's msg of how love doesnt solve all problems. one isnt magically ~healed~ from chronic pain or abusive past and their consequences simply bc they fall in love or find an s/o; instead having the courage and self-love to choose to be better. for a romance novel, thats pretty darn radical, and the author does it all w/o being heavy-handed.
the novel's well-written as well, perhaps one of the best for a romance ive read so far. and while i enjoy chloe and red's banter and interactions, sometimes they come across as trying to hard to be quirky, making me cringe a lil. the sweet moments are indeed swooningly sweet, though.
i recommend this book not only for those looking for a romance read, but anyone who wants complex characters w/ marginalized identities done right.
this book has a rarely-represented heroine in chloe w/ her chronic pain, and i learn a lot the aforementioned while never feeling like the characters' multi-faceted identities overwhelm the story, instead being a natural part of the characters and their complex characterization. same goes for red w/ his history of an abusive relationship, equally hard to find - let alone deftly explored - in novels. i rly enjoy getting to know these two and coming to understand them, viewing their clash as inevitable yet completely understandable.
i also like hibbert's msg of how love doesnt solve all problems. one isnt magically ~healed~ from chronic pain or abusive past and their consequences simply bc they fall in love or find an s/o; instead having the courage and self-love to choose to be better. for a romance novel, thats pretty darn radical, and the author does it all w/o being heavy-handed.
the novel's well-written as well, perhaps one of the best for a romance ive read so far. and while i enjoy chloe and red's banter and interactions, sometimes they come across as trying to hard to be quirky, making me cringe a lil. the sweet moments are indeed swooningly sweet, though.
i recommend this book not only for those looking for a romance read, but anyone who wants complex characters w/ marginalized identities done right.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Chronic illness
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, Medical content, and Car accident
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders
kyeruhh's review
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
3.0
This was sweet and had good representation, but overall was a bit underwhelming. Not mad I read it though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Mental illness, and Sexual content
Moderate: Medical content
beckyyreadss's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.0
I wanted to read this book as I wanted to discover new authors this year. I’ve seen The Brown Sisters series all over Booktok and Bookstagram so I added the first book to my wishlist and my wonderful friends got me this for my birthday.
This book has two points of views. The first point of view is from Chloe Brown, she is a chronically ill computer geek with a goal, a plan and a list. After almost dying, she has come with up with seven things to help her “get a life” and she’s already completed the first one which was to move out of her family’s mansion. So what else is on her list: enjoy a drunken night out, ride a motorbike, go camping, having meaningless but enjoyable sex, travel the world with nothing but hand luggage and do something bad. But Chloe is finding it difficult to complete this list even though she has written out step-by-step guidelines. What Chloe needs is a teacher and she knows just the man: Redford Morgan. The second point of view is from Red Morgan and he has tattoos and a motorbike, Red should be the perfect helper in her mission to rebel. But Red is also fighting and recovering from his past – he is an upcoming artist who lost his passion due to what happened in London. Chloe releases there’s much more to him that his tough exterior and soon she is wanting more. Can they both help each other out? Will Chloe be able to complete her list? Will Red find his passion?
I really enjoyed this book, I thought it was fun, inclusive, flirty and a really strong storyline. I love the British humour as well that admittingly took me a while to realise. Chloe is a bad-ass woman who I want to be friends with. I loved her whole storyline and how Talia Hibbert managed to write chronically illness SO DAMN WELL. You can really see from her perspective that chronically illness is much more than anyone could think about it. I love the bond she has with her sisters and I would love to get to know them more. Now . . . REDFORD MORGAN – That man is a god and he instantly got added to the book boyfriends I would marry – he was so charming, heart of gold and you are instantly rooting for him, no matter what. When I read Talia’s content warning at the beginning, I didn’t know what to expect but I love the fact that she brought to light about domestic abuse and that men can be victims as well.
I don’t think there are any weaknesses to this book, it just wasn’t a favourite of mine - I cannot wait to read the next book in the series and to go back to the Brown sisters. I would recommend this book, if you enjoy romance contemporary books and are wanting something new read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness
Moderate: Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Toxic relationship