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A review by theespressoedition
Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert
emotional
funny
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
This review deserves a bit of a story to preface it. I read Get a Life, Chloe Brown a couple of years ago and really struggled with it. While everyone else praised the chronic illness/pain rep, it made me angry. As someone who has a chronic illness, I was frustrated at the way Chloe's was portrayed - something that could flare up horribly and yet moments later she'd be asking for harder, faster sex. It just didn't seem realistic in the slightest for someone who actually deals with that level of discomfort on a daily basis. After finishing it, I pretty much vowed to myself that I wouldn't be picking up any future installations in The Brown Sisters series.
After I finished every audiobook on my TBR for the month, I had a craving for a romcom. On a whim, I decided to read the synopsis for Take a Hint, Dani Brown. Firstly, it wasn't enemies-to-lovers (a huge plus in my book since that's my least favorite trope) and secondly, it had anxiety rep. Now, I was weary since the rep in the first book really didn't suit me and anxiety is something I find the need to see portrayed properly. That being said, I chose to give the book a go, leaving myself the option to DNF if I needed to (something I rarely, if ever, do).
I was only about 25% through the book when I realized something: I was loving it. This came as a shock, as I'm sure you can understand. I gobbled up the entire story in just over a day and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Not only was the anxiety rep really good (not necessarily the best I've ever seen, but it was an accurate portrayal of anxiety and panic attacks - plus, the way that they were dealt with was a great example to anyone else who either lives with anxiety or knows someone who does and wants to support), but the chemistry between the characters was fantastic. It also had fake dating, he falls first, and "get it out of our system" - which are all favorite tropes for me. Needless to say, it was very entertaining and sweet.
This redeemed Talia Hibbert's writing in my eyes and while I'm still nervous to read the third book, I do plan on giving it a go (especially since most of my close reader friends have told me that it's the best in the series). I'm hoping that I'll wind up enjoying it as much as this one. I'm glad that I gave The Brown Sisters a second chance and read this!
After I finished every audiobook on my TBR for the month, I had a craving for a romcom. On a whim, I decided to read the synopsis for Take a Hint, Dani Brown. Firstly, it wasn't enemies-to-lovers (a huge plus in my book since that's my least favorite trope) and secondly, it had anxiety rep. Now, I was weary since the rep in the first book really didn't suit me and anxiety is something I find the need to see portrayed properly. That being said, I chose to give the book a go, leaving myself the option to DNF if I needed to (something I rarely, if ever, do).
I was only about 25% through the book when I realized something: I was loving it. This came as a shock, as I'm sure you can understand. I gobbled up the entire story in just over a day and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Not only was the anxiety rep really good (not necessarily the best I've ever seen, but it was an accurate portrayal of anxiety and panic attacks - plus, the way that they were dealt with was a great example to anyone else who either lives with anxiety or knows someone who does and wants to support), but the chemistry between the characters was fantastic. It also had fake dating, he falls first, and "get it out of our system" - which are all favorite tropes for me. Needless to say, it was very entertaining and sweet.
This redeemed Talia Hibbert's writing in my eyes and while I'm still nervous to read the third book, I do plan on giving it a go (especially since most of my close reader friends have told me that it's the best in the series). I'm hoping that I'll wind up enjoying it as much as this one. I'm glad that I gave The Brown Sisters a second chance and read this!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Sexual content
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Bullying, and Car accident