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divine529's review against another edition
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
I really enjoyed this book.
This follows our main protagonist Chloe Brown, who has fibromyalgia, who almost gets hit by a car and uses that as a wake up call to "get a life" and she creates a list and enlists her lovely superintendent Red to help her with her list and things go from there.
I absolutely loved the chronic pain/illness and healing from a toxic relationship representation in this. As someone who can relate to both of those things, I really loved both Chloe and Red and saw myself in both of them.
I also loved the ending of this book. I know a lot of people really struggle with the miscommunication trope, but I thought it fit really well with the characters and their experiences and it was done well. Plus miscommunication is something that's pretty common in real life too.
As for the romance, overall I liked it, since it shows a healthier relationship and promotes loving people as they are without wanting someone to change, and all kinds of body positivity and all of that was great, however, there were some things that I felt like were just a bit much (for me personally). I don't mind smut in books, but I'm not a huge fan of public sex and lust at all times. It just makes me feel a bit uncomfortable. I also wish that things between Red and Chloe were a bit more fleshed out as the pacing felt off at times (I particularly would've loved to hear more about when they first met and what it was that made them dislike each other so much, we got a little, but I needed just a little more)
I also wish we got to spend more time with Chloe's family (I know Dani and Eve get their own books, but I wanted more of their interactions with each other) and with Red's family and with Annie and Vik. I really enjoyed all of the interactions we got, but I would've loved for more.
All in all, I really enjoyed this (and honestly read this at exactly the right time) and I'm looking forward to picking up the others!
This follows our main protagonist Chloe Brown, who has fibromyalgia, who almost gets hit by a car and uses that as a wake up call to "get a life" and she creates a list and enlists her lovely superintendent Red to help her with her list and things go from there.
I absolutely loved the chronic pain/illness and healing from a toxic relationship representation in this. As someone who can relate to both of those things, I really loved both Chloe and Red and saw myself in both of them.
I also loved the ending of this book. I know a lot of people really struggle with the miscommunication trope, but I thought it fit really well with the characters and their experiences and it was done well. Plus miscommunication is something that's pretty common in real life too.
As for the romance, overall I liked it, since it shows a healthier relationship and promotes loving people as they are without wanting someone to change, and all kinds of body positivity and all of that was great, however, there were some things that I felt like were just a bit much (for me personally). I don't mind smut in books, but I'm not a huge fan of public sex and lust at all times. It just makes me feel a bit uncomfortable. I also wish that things between Red and Chloe were a bit more fleshed out as the pacing felt off at times (I particularly would've loved to hear more about when they first met and what it was that made them dislike each other so much, we got a little, but I needed just a little more)
I also wish we got to spend more time with Chloe's family (I know Dani and Eve get their own books, but I wanted more of their interactions with each other) and with Red's family and with Annie and Vik. I really enjoyed all of the interactions we got, but I would've loved for more.
All in all, I really enjoyed this (and honestly read this at exactly the right time) and I'm looking forward to picking up the others!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Sexual content, Cursing, Toxic relationship, Drug use, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Classism, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Medical trauma, and Physical abuse
Minor: Grief, Car accident, Sexism, and Ableism
hollowhallow13's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
Stunning, very well written.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness
Moderate: Abandonment, Car accident, Ableism, and Death
jaz_gets_literary's review against another edition
lighthearted
slow-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
3.0
I am in support of the Harper Collins union strike so I will be withholding my review until the strike is over.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Car accident
lizziaha's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
red is sturdy which is maybe why i liked this one so much
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Chronic illness
Moderate: Toxic relationship
Minor: Car accident
wilybooklover's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.0
I can always count on Talia Hibbert to give me a book with a great balance of sweet and steamy!
Chloe was a great heroine: strong, complex, prickly but deeply loving. Red was Chloe’s opposite in some ways — a sweet, golden retriever of a man who always has a kind word for everyone — but alike in that he is also dealing with trauma from his past. I loved that he was so caring and attentive to Chloe’s chronic illnesses and willing to apologise for his mistakes. They made a great complement to each other and worked well together as a couple. The last conflict felt a bit contrived and unnecessary but I think that about 99% of third-act breakups, so... that’s probably a me thing.
Talia Hibbert writes some of the best sex scenes out there. Utterly consensual, hot, tender... She could do a masterclass.
I adored the sibling relationship between Chloe and her sisters and can’t wait to read their stories!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Chronic illness
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Ableism, Mental illness, Classism, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Panic attacks/disorders, and Racism
Minor: Car accident and Grief
haylzno's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
5.0
By far my favorite of the Brown sister stories. I loveeeeeed Chloe and Red. I saw a lot of myself in Chloe so maybe that's why but this was definitely my favorite of the 3 books. Grumpy sunshine is 100000% my thing and I fell for Red right away. Chloe's sense of humor was right up my alley as well. I binged the entire trilogy in 3 days so yea, there's that 😂
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness, Car accident, and Classism
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
thewordsdevourer's review against another edition
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
breadwitchery's review against another edition
emotional
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Chronic illness
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Car accident, Abandonment, Ableism, and Medical trauma
Minor: Alcohol, Racism, and Cursing
carina_dreamer's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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
5.0
• I gave it 5🌟 for emotional reasons, but if I analyse it, maybe a 4🌟75 for two reasons.
• Illnesses aren't my type of topic, I always cry. Fibromyalgia was a safer bet and I was curious to know how they would describe chronic pain. To me, it seemed realistic, from the care needed to the different degrees of pain and symptoms.
• The way Chloe faced the list she made throughout the book had good development. Made me think.
• Red seeming like a bad boy but actually being such a sweet man was a nice surprise. His character had nice and interesting aspects to it like his attitude facing his art after doubting himself and also how he felt after a very toxic past relationship.
• I really liked the sisters (I'm going to read their books) and the grandma (I want to adopt the progressive lady as my own grandmother)
• The banter between Chloe and Red was so nice, with sarcasm and flirting, love it 😍. The romance was so thoughtful and sexy, one of those you think "too good to be true". We read to dream, right? The 🌶️ is great, I got 🥵 and they weren't even kissing.
• The only things I had to point out were: it would be more interesting if Red's life and his problems weren't solved so quickly, his mother and therapy; and the book should have two more chapters to solve their traumas suitably. Chap. 21 was so well written but solved quickly.
• The book is perfect for those who want to start diversifying the authors they read and include more protagonists of colour. A very good rom-com with 🌶️ that I recommend.
• Illnesses aren't my type of topic, I always cry. Fibromyalgia was a safer bet and I was curious to know how they would describe chronic pain. To me, it seemed realistic, from the care needed to the different degrees of pain and symptoms.
• The way Chloe faced the list she made throughout the book had good development. Made me think.
• Red seeming like a bad boy but actually being such a sweet man was a nice surprise. His character had nice and interesting aspects to it like his attitude facing his art after doubting himself and also how he felt after a very toxic past relationship.
• I really liked the sisters (I'm going to read their books) and the grandma (I want to adopt the progressive lady as my own grandmother)
• The banter between Chloe and Red was so nice, with sarcasm and flirting, love it 😍. The romance was so thoughtful and sexy, one of those you think "too good to be true". We read to dream, right? The 🌶️ is great, I got 🥵 and they weren't even kissing.
• The only things I had to point out were: it would be more interesting if Red's life and his problems weren't solved so quickly, his mother and therapy; and the book should have two more chapters to solve their traumas suitably. Chap. 21 was so well written but solved quickly.
• The book is perfect for those who want to start diversifying the authors they read and include more protagonists of colour. A very good rom-com with 🌶️ that I recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, and Chronic illness
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Mental illness, and Physical abuse
Minor: Drug use and Car accident