Get a Life, Chloe Brown: A Novel (The Brown Sisters, 1)

This was a 3.5 read for me and while I liked it but I found that the slowness of the text or perhaps it is the author's style (because I've started others and struggled to get into them) causes me to lose interest after a few chapters.

It was really moving to see a book incorporate a male character who struggles emotionally moving forward and being open with his feelings following a fairly abusive and manipulative relationship with Red's character.

And I really enjoyed the way Chloe and Red's relationship developed in this book and Chloe's character in general. I found I could relate to her when it came to her personal fears and how she felt others viewed her and her illness. Her sisters were loveable and funny as well and overall I could see this as a nice summer or winter book to read when I could put a solid chunk of time into it. As it is a good book to read, it just felt a bit slow for me.

Knowing that this is the first of a series, I will definitely keep watch for the books that follow.

I read Take a Hint, Dani Brown first and absolutely loved it - finally, a romance that felt sensitive, diverse, non-toxic, and refreshingly free of tired romcom tropes. That book is what led me to the first in the Brown sisters trilogy. Get a Life, Chloe Brown hooked me immediately with its premise: a woman living with chronic pain and fibromyalgia, trying to reclaim her independence and navigate life on her own terms. I appreciated the characters, especially their ability to behave with emotional maturity despite carrying significant personal trauma. I also admire how the book treats sexual desire and ensuring consent as normal and unapologetic, rather than something to shy away from. While many individual moments and vignettes land beautifully, some character motivations felt a bit lukewarm and didn’t always convincingly drive their actions. Still, overall, it’s a solid, enjoyable read, filled with plenty of genuinely cutesy moments.

LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!!!!! I may have just figured out my favorite trope: enemies to lovers. This book was phenomenal! A bit explicit at times but not over the top. I listened to the audiobook along with this and the narrator was fantastic! Really brought the characters to life. I think I immediate fell in love with this book because the first thing that Chloe does to "get a life" is get a place of her own which I just recently did myself. I felt like I connected with her as a character and wanted to see where her life was headed. Little did I know that I was in for quite a rollercoaster. The character of Redford is cultivated perfectly. The two characters banter seamlessly and I felt like I was almost watching this happen in real life. I really felt for the characters too. They both went through trauma but didn't feel like they could pull themselves out of it. And yet, they both felt furious for each other and how others treated them. I think being their for one another helped them find confidence and acceptance with themselves as well. The climax of this book pulled at my heart though and I had to read like the last 1/4 of the book in one sitting because I just could not put it down. It is hard to really summarize this book without spoilers so honestly, just go read it! You won't regret it! Looking forward to reading the rest of the Brown Sisters series

Favorite quotes:
"Most people had trouble accepting the fact that Chloe was ill. Fibromyalgia and chronic pain were invisible afflictions, so they were easy to dismiss. But Eve didn't need to feel all of that to have empathy. She didn't need to see Chloe's tears or pain to believe her sister struggled sometimes. Neither for that matter did Dani. They understood" pg. 19
"She'd learned that 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's family was abnormal in their loyalty, and she loved them for it, but they didn't seem to understand that others couldn't be trusted. Better to be alone than to be abandoned. She refused to let that happen again" pg. 74
"Whether she admitted it or not, what Chloe really needed was a decent fucking friend. And what Red really wanted, badly enough to surprise himself, was to give her that. To show her every kindness she should take for granted. To make her smile and laugh and feel like herself. The way she did for him" pg. 202
"You were hurt, and you reacted. You were in an unhealthy situation in more ways than one, and you panicked and cleansed yourself with fire. Don't dismiss your emotions and your self-protection as just a fucked-up decision. Don't reduce something so complex and real and important to nothing." pg. 304
"You always say such lovely things to me, Red. Do you say them to yourself?" No. No, he didn't. It never occured to him that he should, not until recently. Pg. 306

I'm so happy I finally caved to the hype for Chloe Brown! This one was a lot of fun, but with some depth and heart. Just be prepared to blush while you read it. It's one of the steamiest contemporary romances I've read in a long time. Wonderfully flawed and realistic characters, too.

#popsugarreadingchallenge2020 (prompt #14)

I very VERY rarely give a romance novel more than 3 stars but this one was just so damn good. Spent a good chunk of it crying because MC lives with a disability and I have never felt so seen and represented !! So good