Hi, Beautiful People!
I‘ve decided to start a new series on the blog that will feature a brief synopsis and review of a book I want to recommend to you all. I am a voracious (love that word!) reader and want to share my good reads with you, my ColorFull Community! If you also love to read or want to fall in love with reading, you know that finding a great, stimulating book can be like finding jellyfish in an ocean: they exist in mass numbers but will pass right by you unless someone points them out or they sting you. That might not have been the best analogy, but I’m sticking with it!
Here’s the synopsis found on the author’s website:
“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 six 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…”
My review:
I must include a mild disclaimer before beginning the review. I, myself, struggle with a chronic illness. Unconsciously, I view the onset of the illness as the before and after moment of my life. At the time, I saw it as devastating; but now, I see it as transformative. I’m not the same person I was when I was healthy...I’m better. That doesn’t mean that the constant pain, fatigue, insomnia, etc. that comes along with my illness doesn’t suck because it absolutely does. I’ve simply been blessed to learn (over a looong period of time) that my personal growth makes those undesirable struggles bearable and even, depending on my mood, worth it.
I include this information because it’s what made reading this book absolutely irresistible. I have NEVER read a book that featured a chronically ill character. When I found out the lead character was a Black, plus-sized, disabled woman, I about lost it! Talk about checking off the diversity markers!! But, with Talia Hibbert, the author, it’s not about meeting a quota. It’s about telling stories that focus on authentic experiences. The realness of the characters jumped off every page. Her quips and anecdotes about taking always-needed medication, attempting to act cool in front of a cute guy, and trying not to let fear control every decision resonated in my spirit. Yes folks, not my heart, but my SPIRIT.
The book is a romantic novel. As such, it includes explicitly described sex scenes. If that’s not your thing, I suggest you read the book anyway and scroll past those specific pages. If it is your thing, get your popcorn ready and settle in for a satisfying read. *Popcorn isn’t just for movie-goers. Us book lovers eat it, too!* Beyond the sexual aspect of the book, the author does a great job of taking the reader inside the minds of the lead characters, Chloe and Red. You get to understand why they do what they do and how the other interprets said actions. Both Chloe and Red deal with deep-seeded emotional issues (don’t we all?!) that manifest in unhealthy behaviors and coping mechanisms. Witnessing how they heal and grow from their weaknesses made their journey a relatable, worth-while read.
I give “Get a Life, Chloe Brown” 4.5 stars. I can’t express how much I reveled in feeling seen and heard through Chloe’s struggles with chronic illness. The arc of the central relationship is fast-moving but still believable. I’m a sucker for romance novels but especially the novels whose authors use romance as a tool to teach and grow their characters into better people. Talia Hibbert certainly accomplished that and more with this first novel in The Brown Sisters Series. So, basically, if you‘re interested in reading a book rooted in real situations, real circumstances, real emotions, and a bit of romantic fantasy, this is the book for you! It was certainly the book for me.
Colorfully,
CC
I hope you enjoyed the first installment in this new blog series. This is an informal review, but I hope it peaked your interest in the aforementioned book. If you’ve read the book or have any book recommendations for me, please chat/contact me. I’d love to hear from you!
*Cover photo and excerpt courtesy of TaliaHibbert.com
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