![Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert – A book review]()
review, Romance |
It has been a while since I have loved a book unconditionally and I am glad that I heeded to everyone raving about Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert. Go on to read my book review to see what worked for me.
About Get a Life, Chloe Brown
Book Name: Get a Life, Chloe Brown
Author: Talia Hibbert
Genre: Fiction – Romance
Characters: Chloe Brown, Redford “Red” Morgan
Setting: Nottinghamshire, England, The UK
Plot Summary of Get a Life, Chloe Brown
Chloe Brown just had a close brush with death which made her reassess her life choices. She moves out of her loving family home and “get a life”. She makes a list of things that she wants to do, whatever her chronic pain and fibromyalgia might allow her to do.
Redford “Red” Morgan is done with all the posh and society life in London, and content with being a building superintendent and painting for himself. He is hurt and hesitant to let in anyone, especially those remind him of his ex.
When they two meet, they dislike each other almost immediately. They dislike what the other embodies and do not hesitate to show their disapproval.
Does Chloe get a life and do they give each other a chance form the rest of the story in Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert.
Book review of Get a Life, Chloe Brown
Get a Life, Chloe Brown is my first Talia Hibbert book and I enjoyed every page of it.
Chloe is an absolute delight to read about. She loves her family but is mildly annoyed that they are over protective. She understands her health issues and her shortcomings. But instead of letting it define her, she understands what works and what doesn’t for her.
Reading how harmful an emotionally abusive relationship can be, from a male’s point of view was eye opening. Seeing how it changed Red was heartbreaking and so well written and he has become one of my favorite fictional male leads in a long time.
I loved how the author made her characters equally vulnerable and strong. Most of adult romances make one of their leads strong and the other vulnerable, and they become codependent. But neither of them do that in Get a Life, Chloe Brown.
I can’t wait to read about the Brown sisters in Talia Hibbert’s other books.
What worked for me
- Both Red and Chloe have strong personalities and they are both hurt. I loved how independent, yet vulnerable they both were.
- Talia Hibbert’s witty writing had me laughing loud at so many places. And she was as sensitive and respectful when she handled the emotional issues. She will definitely be one of my favorite authors of the year!
- Representation matters. I do not have chronic illness, nor do I fall into any other category that these characters represent. But I have so many people on the Bookstagram and from the blogging world who say they felt represented.
What may have been better
- NOTHING. I LOVED THIS ONE.
Content warning
Chronic pain and fibromyalgia, Emotional abuse and gaslighting, PG sexual content
Bottom line
Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert is a well written contemporary romance with wonderful characters that will stay with you even after you finish reading it. Plus one for the diverse (fat, Black) representations!
Similar book reviews
Pin me!
Let’s chat
Is Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert on your TBR? How did you like it, if you have read already? What was your latest romance read? Let us talk.
“Find me on Twinkl’s Library Lover’s Campaign, to take part, visit their Library Lover’s Day 2021 blog“
![Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert – A book review]()
review, Romance |
I am a bit late to review this one. I read In a Holidaze during the holidays and this is my second book by Christina Lauren, so I had some expectations. Did the book meet my expectations? Read my book review of In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren to know more.
About In a Holidaze
Book Name: In a Holidaze
Author: Christina Lauren
Genre: Fiction – Romance
Characters: Maelyn and Miles Jones, Andrew and Theo Hollis.
Setting: Utah, The USA
Plot Summary of In a Holidaze
Twenty six year old Maelyn Jones is on her yearly Christmas vacation with her family and their friends. But this might be the last year for that tradition and she is heartbroken about her life.
Her job seems to be a dead end, she moved back to her hometown after her parents’ divorce, her 13 year long crush doesn’t reciprocate her feelings and her one happy place – their Christmas cabin of 17 years is about to be sold.
In a moment of desperation, she wishes that life would show how her how to be happy. And their car rams into another. AND she wakes up a week earlier to celebrate Christmas all over again.
Does she get what she wanted this time? Read In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren, a romantic Groundhog scenario set in a holiday background to know more.
Book review of In a Holidaze
As I mentioned already I really liked reading Christina Lauren’s other book, The Unhoneymooners and I knew what I was getting into. And that is exactly what I wanted for my holiday fervor.
In a Holidaze didn’t fail me on that. I loved their Christmas traditions. Also, I really like the Groundhog scenario in general and to do it on a holiday background made it more engaging.
I somehow thought Theo and Mae were the actual pairing initially and that he will have his redemption. And I never was able to change my mind about Mae-Andrew after that. So sadly, this friendship to love trope didn’t work well for me.
I liked Maelyn and her character was the only one fleshed out well. And the first 75 to 100 pages were really interesting and fun to read. But the middle part seemed dragging and too slow for a romance.
I love a large family, don’t get me wrong. But there were far too many characters to enjoy it and there was not just enough time for any sorta character development for each of them. All the adults kinda rolled up into one after a while.
What worked for me
- I loved that I read In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren during the holidays and it helped me stay in the holiday fervor for a longer time.
- The set up and the characters, especially one of the adults, reminded me of the Fuller house characters – in a positive way.
What may have been better
- There were too many characters in the family to actually like any of them in particular. I wished these characters were fleshed out better.
- I wish there was some explanation into why this groundhog/ time travel thing was happening to Mae out of nowhere.
Content warning
PG-13, Car accidents
Bottom line
In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren is definitely a fun holiday read with a time travel element to it. Sadly the romance part and character development left me wanting for more.
Similar book reviews
Pin me!
Let’s chat
Have you read In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren? What are your favorite holiday romance reads? Do you often try to read based on seasons? Let us talk.
![Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert – A book review]()
review, Romance, YA |
Who among us would not love reading about superheroes? Well, that was rhetorical! I love superheroes and so does our protagonist Nick Bell. Let’s talk more about The Extraordinaries by T J Klune in my review below.
About the book
Book Name: The Extraordinaries
Author: T J Klune
Genre: Fiction – Romance, Young Adult
Characters: Nicholas (Nick) and Aaron Bell, Seth Gray, Lola (Gabby) Gibson, Jasmine (Jazz), Oliver Burke, Shadow Star, Pyro Storm.
Setting: Nova City
Plot Summary
Nicholas Bell has the biggest crush on Shadowstar and his long running fanfiction is a proof of that. Shadowstar is one of The Extraordinaries from Nova City who keeps the city safe from his arch nemesis Pyro Storm.
Nick is just an ordinary high school student living with his father who is a cop. In order to gain the attention and respect from his crush, Nick decides that he should become an extraordinary himself, with the help of his reluctant but supportive friends.
Does this doomed plan ever take off? How long would it take for Nick to see the truth forms the rest of the story in The Extraordinaries by T J Klune.
Book review
I can’t think of a book that made me chuckle, roll my eyes and laugh as many times as The Extraordinaries by T J Klune did, in the recent past. Nick being “extra” was so endearing and I just wanted him to be an Extraordinary just for his sake (even though I am sure it would be a terrible terrible idea).
I am glad we have moved on forward from making it all his queerness just the main theme of the book. I strongly believe that books need not be written solely to educate people about LGBTQAI+ and The Extraordinaries passes this test colorfully.
Yet, I learned quite a bit about ADHD and Nick’s issues with dealing them. Disclaimer: All I know about it is from the mainstream – I am not the correct person to say if the portrayal was real.
It might be an awful timing like the author explained here, but Nick’s father (who is a cop) punching a guy and still being on the force didn’t sit well with me. We learn that he was just demoted because his buddies “from the force” stood by him and it is so not fair.
And the whole attitude of “good people sometimes do bad things, and that doesn’t make them bad” was off-putting to say the least, given what the police force has been doing in the USA and even India, (and now Chile).
I wish the author and the publishing team had paid a bit more attention to what is happening in the real world. #BlackLivesMatter
What worked for me
- I loved how well written and colorful the younger characters were. Undoubtedly, Nick is one of the most entertaining protagonists I have read in a while.
- The writing is witty and engaging. And a special mention to the author’s sense of humor. I would definitely be reading more of Klune’s books.
- I loved the portrayal of Nick’s ADHD and it helped me appreciate understanding it better. Additionally. Nick’s queerness is not the main focus of the book, which I loved!
What may have been better
- I sincerely wish the team should have handled the “cops punching people” situation better.
- While I love the way the younger characters were written, I felt all the adults sounded and behaved the same (Nick’s dad, the captain, his wife, the nurses and even Seth’s guardians). After a minute, I couldn’t stop seeing the pattern between these characters.
Bottom line
The Extraordinaries by T J Klune is one of the most entertaining books that I read recently. I loved reading it and loved the portrayal of characters with ADHD.
Despite all the positives, Klune’s choice to take the police’s side makes it harder for me to recommend the book to everyone. If you are okay with that, please read The Extraordinaries by T J Klune.
Similar books
Pin me!
Let’s chat
Have you read The Extraordinaries by T J Klune? What was the book that you recently read that blew your mind? Do you have any other book that has a protagonist with ADHD? Let us talk.
![Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert – A book review]()
review, Thriller |
Reading a pretty hyped up book has its own disadvantages, mainly the pressure to like it because everyone else did. But did Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens pass the test for me? Let’s get on to the book review shall we?
About the book
Book Name: Where the Crawdads Sing
Author: Delia Owens
Genre: Fiction – Romance; Thriller
Characters: Kya Clark, Tate Walker, Jumpin’ and Mable, Chase Andrews
Setting: Barkley Cove, North Carolina, The USA
Plot Summary
The book begins when six year old Kya watches her mother leave their shack and her five children with her drunk, violent and often absent father. Soon one by one her siblings also flee, as does her father eventually, leaving her behind to fend for herself.
She attends the school for a day, forced by the authorities and tempted by the meal, but realizes she would be hungry rather than be laughed at. When Kya learns to accept her loneliness, two boys enter her life.
One of them teaches her to read and discover more about the marsh life and another shows what her life could be if she were a “normal” girl. And to make things worse, both of them abandon her at some point, just like her family.
Fast forward to 1969, when they recover a local athlete, Chase Andrews’ body near the marsh. Without much evidence, they arrest Kya when the villagers come to know Chase and Kya were closer to each other than they all thought.
Why was Kya arrested and who murdered Chase? What happens to Kya forms the rest of the story in Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens.
Book review
In this historical fiction, there are two timelines – one following six year old Kya’s life from 1952 and the other follows Chase’s murder investigation in 1969. There are vast differences in the writing styles, almost like they were written by two authors.
But I think that worked, because for me they felt like they were different genres (a coming of age romance and a murder/legal thriller). And I am sure fans of both the genres would have something for them.
It is apparent that Delia Owens knows the marshland very well. And her writing ensures the reader gets transported to the wetlands themselves. Once I suspended the skepticism about a kid living all alone, I really liked Kya and her will to survive everything that life throws her way.
I loved how Where the Crawdads Sing spoke of several themes like abandonment, parental neglect, alienation, bullying and racism. And yet made it all about hope and love.
The romance part was a tiny bit melodramatic. But when you are 20 something everyone is allowed to be heart broken and decide to “never love anyone ever again”. There were quite a number of red herring and I was at a point convinced someone particular was the murderer. But surprisingly they were not!
What worked for me
- Where the Crawdads Sing works mainly for Owen’s writing and her ability to grasp the reader’s attention – be it the romance or the court room drama!
- Kya herself is an unique character and she will be cherished as one of the strong female literary characters in my mind.
- Despite talking about so many serious themes like abandonment, parental neglect, alienation, bullying and racism, it is hope and positivity that I ended up feeling.
What may have been better
- The first part contains a lot of descriptive writing, so if you are not into those type of books be warned.
- Also a warning people who are not into alternative timelines.
Bottom line
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens is one of those books that survived the hype and came through for me. I liked the author’s writing style and her character building. Catch Where the Crawdads Sing before the movie comes out!
Similar books for you
Pin me!
Let’s chat
Have you read Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens? How did you like it? Which hyped book worked well for you? And which didn’t? Let us talk.
![Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert – A book review]()
review, Romance |
The book description of The Coincidence of Coconut Cake by Amy Reichert has “You’ve Got Mail meets How to Eat a Cupcake” on it and that had an influence on my choice to pick this one. Let’s see if this book fulfills its promise.
About the book
Book Name: The Coincidence of Coconut Cake
Author: Amy Reichert
Genre: Fiction – Romance
Characters: Elizabeth “Lou” Johnson, Al Waters, Devlin, Harley, Sue
Setting: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, The USA
The plot
Elizabeth “Lou” Johnson is a chef and owner of a French restaurant and has everything going on in her life. She is engaged to be married to a handsome, ambitious man, Devlin and she is excited for her birthday surprise.
But nothing goes right for her on a day that was supposed to be brimming with promise.
She walks in on her boyfriend with an intern and worse, a well respected food critic trashes her restaurant causing a huge blow to her business.
Al hates being Milwaukee and misses his family and just being in Britain. He is waiting to move on to the next job as he works as a columnist in a local newspaper. Until he meets a colorful, optimistic woman at a coffee shop, who smells of vanilla, coconut cake and bacon.
How does Al realize his blunder? Does she ever get to know that Al was the one who wrecked her business into pieces with his review? The answers form the rest of the plot in The Coincidence of Coconut Cake by Amy Reichert.
My initial thoughts
As I picked The Coincidence of Coconut Cake, I knew I was in for a light hearted romance but I was not prepared to be overpowered by so many different food and desserts. Yes, serves me right for not reading the reviews. But hey, I am not complaining. I loved the onslaught of smells and flavors of food.
Lou and Al were likeable and so were the older couple living in their neighborhood. I always have a thing for the romance between the matured and young at heart characters and The Coincidence of Coconut Cake did a number on my heart. Not saying anything more, cuz spoilers!
The book stands as an ode for the author’s love for Milwaukee, without making it sound like a travelogue. I loved Al’s review process and how serious he took his job. He reminded me of someone else you know. wink wink
What worked for me
- The book is filled with food and smells and flavors. Beware it might make you hungry, like it did for me.
- The characters are sweet and adorable and well written.
- If you are planning to or are from Milwaukee, you are in for a special treat. The author loves the city and she ensures we get a chance to know it
What may have been better
- The plot is fairly predictable and runs on a tried and tested formula for rom-com books and movies.
Bottom line
Sure The Coincidence of Coconut Cake by Amy Reichert is fairly predictable and fluffy, but it is heartwarming and delightful too. It is definitely perfect if you want to pick a light entertainment.
Pin me!
Let’s chat
Have you read The Coincidence of Coconut Cake by Amy Reichert? What other books will you recommend that talks so much of food that you end up hungry? How much weight do you give to descriptions like “Hunger games meets vampire dairies”? Let us talk.
