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

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.
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