A review by lizzie_b99
Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing 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? Yes

4.5

I read this after Take a Hint, Dani Brown because I was not initially aware that that title was part of a series. I have started Act Your Age, Eve Brown and I am really curious to see how her character develops from how she is represented in these earlier novels. 

I personally prefer this novel to the sequel! Chloe and Red's relationship feels well fleshed out, though maybe a touch too fast (though maybe I'm just a bit of a skeptic when it comes to quickly developed romantic relationships). I love the focus throughout this series on mental health and disability/neurodivergence representation. I do not have fibro, but Chloe's struggles with spoons and having an invisible disability are incredibly relatable. 

The romance genre often has a problem with allowing characters to violate their potential partner's boundaries with little to no punishment. I love that this title does not fall into that trap. Chloe and Red are both highly aware of the importance of boundaries. They constantly ask each other for explicit consent before deepening their romantic/physical relationship (and omg consent is sexy). The focus on boundaries, consent, and meeting one's partner's needs made Chloe and Red's relationship feel both idyllic and achievable. Their banter is adorable and now I need someone to call me Button (even though I'll pretend to hate it), and Smudge is absolutely the best name for a cat.

Late novel spoilers
I am not a fan of third act breakups - I often find them to be used as an excuse to lengthen a novel that could have ended better 50 odd pages earlier - but the way this trope is used in this novel works in my opinion. Although the miscommunication trope is used to instigate this breakup (as is often the case), these tropes feel like they bring out the fears and triggers of the characters rather than being used just as a bit of late-novel filler. All in all, the use of tropes in this novel feel believable for the characters and not like an excuse to participate in a trope
 
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