Talia Hibbert, one of contemporary romance’s brightest new stars, delivers a witty, hilarious romantic comedy about a woman who’s tired of being “boring” and recruits her mysterious, sexy neighbor to help her experience new things—perfect for fans of Sally Thorne, Jasmine Guillory, and Helen Hoang!
Title: Get a Life, Chloe Brown
Author: Talia Hibbert
Series: Brown Sisters #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Avon Books
Publication Date: November 5, 2019
Synopsis:
Chloe Brown is a chronically ill computer geek with a goal, a plan, and a list. After almost—but not quite—dying, she’s come up with seven directives to help her “Get a Life”, and she’s already completed the first: finally moving out of her glamourous family’s mansion. The next items?
Enjoy a drunken night out. Ride a motorcycle. Go camping. Have meaningless but thoroughly enjoyable sex. Travel the world with nothing but hand luggage. And... do something bad.
But it’s not easy being bad, even when you’ve written step-by-step guidelines on how to do it correctly. What Chloe needs is a teacher, and she knows just the man for the job.
Redford ‘Red’ Morgan is a handyman with tattoos, a motorcycle, and more sex appeal than ten-thousand Hollywood heartthrobs. He’s also an artist who paints at night and hides his work in the light of day, which Chloe knows because she spies on him occasionally. Just the teeniest, tiniest bit.
But when she enlists Red in her mission to rebel, she learns things about him that no spy session could teach her. Like why he clearly resents Chloe’s wealthy background. And why he never shows his art to anyone. And what really lies beneath his rough exterior…
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Praise for Get a Life, Chloe:
“A thrilling, life-altering adventure that will keep readers riveted... Hibbert's rom-com stands out for its high stakes, distinctive heroine, and scorching hot romance. Their off-the-charts chemistry elevates this from cute romance to un-put-downable page-turner."
- Publishers Weekly starred review and Best Books of 2019
“[An] incredibly funny, romantic, and uplifting book. Red is as charming, sexy, and vulnerable as can be, but Chloe steals the show with her sarcasm, wit, and eccentric coping mechanisms. Even better, Chloe is surrounded by a family of remarkable, glamorous women, including two sisters who will be featured in later installments... A revelation. Hilarious, heartfelt, and hot. Hibbert is a major talent.”
- Kirkus Reviews starred review
“Will readers giggle at the cuteness of the banter and weep at the emotional truths that are thrown down as Chloe realizes it’s not her list that matters, and Red realizes Chloe is helping him get a life, too? Absolutely. Is this book what the word “charming” was invented for? Probably. This interracial romance with a disabled heroine is an #OwnVoices treat that will satisfy readers who love a cinnamon-roll hero and love scenes that scorch the dang pages. “
- Booklist starred review
“This stunning romance tackles important topics, such as living with disability and surviving emotional abuse, without ever getting bogged down in despair. Hibbert’s prose sparkles, and the heat is high...”
- Library Journal starred review
“Absolutely charming. GET A LIFE, CHLOE BROWN is a flawless balance of humor, heat, sweetness, and depth, and I loved every page.”
- Helen Hoang, USA Today bestselling author of The Kiss Quotient and The Bride Test
“Talia Hibbert is a rockstar! Her writing is smart, funny, and sexy, but most importantly, she'll make you fall in love with her sweetly imperfect characters, who are so real you’ll wish you could give them all a hug.”
- Meg Cabot, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Little Bridge Island and Princess Diaries series
“GET A LIFE, CHLOE BROWN was one of my most anticipated books of 2019, and it delivered! Beautiful writing, laugh out loud funny, a truly unique and memorable hero and heroine and a romance that is raw, real and passionate. This goes on my permanent keeper shelf!”
- Naima Simone, USA Today bestselling author
“Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert was clever, sweet, sexy, and brilliant. It made me cry but in the best ways. Seeing a heroine with a similar disease to my own fall in love and be happy was everything.”
- Carrie Ann Ryan, New York Times bestselling author
About Talia Hibbert:
Talia Hibbert is an award-winning, Black British author who lives in a bedroom full of books. Supposedly, there is a world beyond that room, but she has yet to drum up enough interest to investigate.
She writes sexy, diverse romance because she believes that people of marginalised identities need honest and positive representation. Her interests include beauty, junk food, and unnecessary sarcasm. She also rambles intermittently about the romance genre online.
Talia self-publishes via Nixon House and is represented by Courtney Miller-Callihan at Handspun Literary.
Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia HibbertMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I've never read Talia Hibbert before, and I thought this was such a great introduction to her work. She has a killer sense of humor that translates into some highly entertaining and witty dialogue. There's no question you're going to have fun when you open up this novel. This isn't your average fluffy rom-com though, be prepared for conflicts that allow you to dig into considerable emotional depth as well. On top of that, you get a heavy dose of steam between the main characters, much more than I had anticipated. Not that it's a bad thing. A lot of the heat came from the intensity of anticipation and tension which I'm totally here for. I think it will surprise a lot of people how well the author polishes all of these facets into a weighty, symmetrical gem of a romance.
Chloe Brown has become a bit of an anti-social hermit, but she hasn't always been that way. Once she was happily active in dating, friendships, and even played netball for the county team. Then she became ill and her life was divided into two halves: before and after. Now her life consists of pain management and learning how to balance her limitations with the simplest of tasks. With the exception of her loving family, most of the people who were closest to her have either disappointed or abandoned her when she needed them the most. Naturally this has caused her to go on the defensive with people, to throw up a protective barrier, and retreat into what she realizes is a pretty boring life.
Eve clearly didn’t realize that “social nonsense” was Chloe’s succinct way of phrasing “the constant disappointment that is human nature.” She’d learned the hard way that people were always looking for a reason to leave, that affection or adoration or promises of devotion turned to dust when things got tough.
Chloe is a pretty self-aware intelligent person. Not only does she recognize the pattern she has fallen into, she immediately makes a plan and starts to put it into action. She's a meticulous, Type A personality that likes to have things organized and defined. So it makes sense that she would come up with a self-improvement list that's aimed towards being more adventurous and experiencing life more fully. This heroine wasn't quite what I was expecting. The synopsis calls her a computer geek and I was all fired up for an awkward, nerdy character. (A serious weakness of mine.) Chloe is slightly socially awkward but only from letting her social skills grow dusty from being left on the shelf for so long. What put me off a little in the beginning was her snobbiness and bad-tempered behavior towards Red. These two mixed like vinegar and oil, and mainly because of her prickliness.
Christ, she was so far up her own arse, it was a miracle she could see the sun.
After Red stumbles upon Chloe rescuing a cat in a tree, he realizes she has a soft heart under that tough outer shell that is quite endearing. They strike up a bargain: he helps her complete a few of her list goals, and she'll create a website to showcase his art so he can reclaim his old life. Having an equal exchange between them puts her more at ease and confident as she stretches her wings. Red is the superintendent for her building, a temporary gig he fell into after his life completely unraveled. This is where the two of them found common ground. Both are trying to find a healthy balance once again. They're searching for the happiness and fulfillment that was lost, and together they just kind of make sense in an odd way. Even though they're so completely different, they can relate on a basic, fundamental level. When she studies his latest painting, she can read it as if it's a book that spells out his painful inner turbulence in each sharp, somber color. Seeing his emotions bared on canvas is like holding a mirror in front of her face and staring back at herself.
Each character makes mistakes along the way, but there is considerable growth on both sides. I loved to see how Chloe softens and mellows as she lets go of her resentment and allows herself to be vulnerable again. There is no reward without risk in life, and if anyone is worth the risk of opening your bruised heart, it's Red. He is patient, kind, sensitive to her need for independence, and reminds her how to have fun again. I thought the ending was all kinds of sweet and thoughtful when he showed her not only how sorry he was, but how much he was paying attention. He knew her inside and out and accepted her just as she was.
I really enjoyed this one! It wasn't on a five star level excitement wise, but I was really impressed with the writing and sensitivity to serious topics like chronic pain and the aftermath of an abusive relationship. I think my mood have been a contributor to my rating but I won't know until I do a re-read in the future. Yes, this is definitely re-read worthy, and I'll be one of the first to read the next installment in the Brown Sisters series! Chloe's sisters are delightfully quirky and fully fleshed out, so their stories are sure to deliver some solid romances.
He loved Chloe. He loved Chloe like a blank canvas and a finished piece and all the exhilarating, painful, stop-and-start moments in between.
*Take a Hint, Dani Brown is scheduled for release June 2020.
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