Very cute, original romance. I loved that the heroine was struggling with her own challenges, and it was refreshing to read something new.

I was pleasantly surprised that this was taking place in England. I love a good British love story. A super fast and enjoyable read. I want more about Chloe and Red!

This is a sweet and very steamy enemies-to-lovers romance with only a little angst. Chloe is a very curvy black woman suffering with debilitating and painful fibromyalgia (contracted after a bout of pneumonia years prior). As a result of her pain, she was abandoned by her fiancé and chose to shut out all of her friends. She couldn’t handle both emotional and physical pain, so decided to avoid anything and anyone that might cause it. As the story begins, she is almost hit by a car which makes her realize that she hasn’t really been living, so she makes a list of ways to “get a life.” First step was moving out of her parents’ house and into her own apartment. There, she begins a testy relationship with her gorgeous super, Red. Despite their initial negative reaction to each other, Chloe checks off #7 on her list, “Do something bad,” when she spies on Red painting shirtless. She doesn’t know if he’s seen her, but eventually asks him to help her check off additional items on her list (for example, go camping, ride a motorbike). What ensues is a transformation from sarcastic, witty banter to passionate love. Red is one of the most caring and genuine heroes you’ll ever meet as well as a gifted painter, and, despite a painful past thanks to an abusive ex-girlfriend, he still cares deeply about people. Chloe, despite her fear of exposing herself to pain through relationships, is confident with her body (no awkwardness about getting naked) and acknowledges that she’s “gorgeous.” It is such a treat to read about a hunky hero who lusts after a woman’s “thick thighs” and “rounded belly.” We all need more of this celebration of diversity and body-positivity. Although cartoonish covers are all the rage right now, this one seems so misrepresentative of Chloe’s beauty. They could do much better. Fun, satisfying chick lit!

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Avon through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Chloe Brown is a smart, strong woman who thinks she knows what she wants and how to achieve them. This all changes with the introduction to her superintendent, Red. Get a Life, Chloe Brown is equal parts romantic and steamy, look no further.

3.5 stars, rounded up. Overall, this book was a gem and exactly what I wanted to read! I loved both Chloe and Red, and especially Gigi! At times the characters felt more like caricatures than real people, but I didn’t really mind it most of the time. I thought the conversation around chronic illness was an important one, and learned a lot, not having a chronic illness myself. The story was compelling and well paced. At times the dialogue was utterly unbelievable, but again, certainly not a deal breaker. Overall, recommend without much reservation!

Excellent, as always. Talia Hibbert's characters are always funny, realistic, and honest on the page, even when they're struggling to communicate with each other. She makes me rethink romance every time I read one of her novels, and encourages me to pursue it on my own terms in my life.

A completely fantastic read. I could not put "Get a Life, Chloe Brown" down. I appreciated the subtle differences in a storyline where the main character was sick but wanted to experience life. Hibbert made me laugh and kept me flipping the pages right until the end. I will definitely recommend this one, it's been one of my favorite reads of 2019!

I'm super bummed I ended up dnfing this one. I was so excited about a book I could really relate to. I have Multiple Sclerosis so a main character with chronic pain and a chronic illness means everything to me. Unfortunately less than halfway into the book I felt like I was reading erotic literature rather than a romantic comedy. I'm not a prude, probably the furthest thing from it and I love sex scenes as much as the next person but to me, it was almost too much and just didn't help the story. I'm a huge advocate for more chronic illness suffers as main characters.. this just wasn't for me. I do seem to be in the minority here so please don't let this sway you if you really want to read it. Thanks so much for the chance to read it!

I’ve heard great things about Talia Hibbert, and having read this book, I can see why people rave about her writing. It’s terrific.

One of the biggest strengths of the novel is that it defies the conventions of the genre. For one thing, Red is the survivor of a relationship with a mentally abusive partner that's left him a complete mess emotionally. Men can be victims, too, but most novels cast the woman in that role, rather than show a man as vulnerable. Chloe is full figured and disabled, and that's just her, not something to apologize for. Hibbert doesn’t soft pedal the problems created by Chloe’s fibromyalgia but shows that it's possible to navigate around them with the right partner. Love isn’t limited to the able bodied, after all.

Red and Chloe make a great couple. Red is the sweetest, most caring romantic hero of any book I’ve read this year. He shows total respect for Chloe, taking care of her without taking over. He's a complete cinnamon roll of a guy. Chloe holds Red at arm's length a little too long, maybe, but it's understandable given that she's been hurt in the past.

The story has a lot of humor along with plenty of heat. It’s truly laugh-out-loud funny in some places and scorching hot in others. Actually, sometimes it’s both at the same time.

So, if you are looking for a rom-com that stands out from the crowd, look no further. Just read!

A copy of this book was provided through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.

This is, by far, one of my favorite books ever. It's so romantic, smutty, and just overall well-written. The characters are so amazing. There's the perfect amount of angst. I haven't loved a book from the very beginning in so long and it makes me so happy. This is definitely one of the books that I reread over and over and over again. I can't wait to reread it and to pick up the second book in the series!!!!!!

I received this as an ARC from netgalley. I enjoyed most of the story, but I do think the got a little ‘wordy’ in some parts and I would just skim a paragraph or two until something happened again. I got frustrated with the constant unrealistic attraction to each other. It seemed over the top. And the sex scenes were crude. Over all, I liked the plot, but feel the story could have been told in a different more tasteful way.

I give this book 4 stars. I love that Talia Hubert touched on some very deep issues, like invisible illnesses and abuse, and I loved the snappy parts of the dialogue. Red and Chloe are a great pairing, and I’m thrilled that the main female that gets the guy isn’t the typical “everything’s perfect in my cookie-cutter-world” type of female.

I also especially love that Talia added a trigger warning in the beginning. I knew to brace myself, and I appreciated the warning.

There are some things that drove me a little nuts, but overall, this was a great book that I encourage everyone to take a chance on.

I was generously provided a copy of this novel by NetGalley and the publisher. My opinions are my own.

Get a Life, Chloe Brown is a steamy, contemporary romance featuring a black, plus-size heroine who lives with chronic pain and hides her soft heart with a prickly exterior. Chloe is determined to get her life back, beginning by moving into her own apartment and trying to check things of a bucket list of sorts. Enter Redford Morgan, the tattooed manager of her new building who paints in his spare time and seems to get along with everyone BUT Chloe. Eventually, she recruits him to help her check off items on her list and their chemistry begins to develop.

There was a lot to love here. We get a detailed look at what life for Chloe is like when it comes to dealing with chronic pain (this is also an own voices portrayal) and how that fits with a romantic relationship. Red is a sweetheart, but he also has his own traumatic past he is dealing with. This is a beautiful story of two broken people coming together and slowly healing and learning to have grace for each other. Also, the body positivity is wonderful! Red is super into Chloe physically and she is not hung up on her weight. While this is not my favorite book from Talia, I am THRILLED that she is entering traditional publishing! She is really fantastic and I recommend checking out some of her self-published work as well.

Note that this is an adult romance novel with some explicit sex scenes. It also contains depictions of Chloe experiencing pain and other physical symptoms from her fibromyalgia, and a scene of conflict where Red is triggered and over-responds, although I thought the resolution to that felt earned. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I liked the diversity, the fact that the main character had a chronic illness (not normally something I see in a rom-com), her list of things she wants to do, the banter between the main characters was witty and created great chemistry.

I thought some parts were a little cringeworthy with word choice, but that’s just my personal preference. And though I appreciated the author created the main character with a chronic illness, I wasn’t able to fully connect with her.

Overall I think this is a book I would recommend for romance readers, because it is just a little bit different, makes you think, but still follows the general “rules” of a romance book. 3.5

I really appreciated the progression of Chloe and Red's relationship. I love Chloe putting herself out there. The sisterly dynamic makes me extra excited for the next book in this series.

Quick(ish) Review
I adored this. READ IT NOW. *blinks* While this technically would cover all my feels for this romance, let’s discuss, shall we?

Chloe Brown’s got a list to complete, a list detailing her journey towards getting a life, a life that she’d stopped living when everything began to hurt. As a heroine living with fibromyalgia, Chloe has set up a world where she is careful, where she’s had to learn to manage her pain while seeing everyone except her family leave, and where she remains, above all, safe. Until a brush with death made her realize that safe is good,but living a life would be better. Step one - move out of her parents’ home. Step two - tick more boxes off her get a life list, like ride a motorcycle, travel the world with nothing more than hand luggage, and have meaningless sex. Meanwhile, she’s trying to ignore her attraction to the ridiculously attractive Redford “Red” Morgan, the superintendent at her new apartment. Red’s gone through his own share of trauma in his past that has halted him in his emotional tracks. As they both learn to not let their fears define their futures, romance happens.

First, Chloe has a very distinct and funny voice, which may or may not work for some, but completely delighted me. The witty banter, whether it be between Chloe and her family or with Red, jumped off the page at me. I’m a dialogue aficionado, and it was top notch in this romance. Speaking of, both Chloe and Red have solid character arcs that enriched their romance. Now, Red could easily have been a cinny roll hero, just there in service of his heroine, and I could have enjoyed him. He certainly fulfills some of the usual physical standards of a romantic hero (hello gingery goodness). But his personal journey is just as compelling, just as flawed, and yeah, he’s a ginger with soul... no matter what the old wives tales say.

GALCB tackles several serious issues, such as chronic pain, managing mental health, as well as prior emotional and physical abuse, with sensitivity and humor. Also,this is the kind of BBW romance that makes me happy - the heroine is undoubtedly a large woman, but it’s not the focal point. It’s accepted, rather than the only thing other characters fixate on. Red and Chloe accept each other exactly as they are, even at their lowest points. Their Firsts (meet/kiss/love scene) were well done, and while the romance is a slow burn, the character work kept me more engaged than frustrated. This truly character-driven romance was so well crafted, even when it got to the inevitable final obstacle, I was so invested in both Red and Chloe that, while I was upset, I completely understood them, and just wanted them to work it out. Considering it’s a deeply internal obstacle that would normally drive me insane, I was very impressed.

In conclusion, I loved every moment of seeing Chloe Brown getting her life. I know that this will go on my keeper shelf and, I happily recommend this.

I finished this book and immediately looked for more by this author. I simultaneously couldn't wait to finish and didn't want it to end. I want to be best friends with Chloe and clone Red for my very own. Chloe's illness is portrayed realistically but not to the point of pity which was refreshing. This book is a must read and one i will definitely be reading again soon.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the free ebook in exchange for my honest review!

Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert

Chloe Brown is chronically ill and after a near death experience, embarks on a journey to "get a life" - Of course she has a list. Red Morgan is an artistic handyman, complete with tattoos and a motorcycle and a troubled past, who is enlisted to help with Chloe's list, and they subsequently fall for each other.

What worked for me:

The accurate portrayal of life with a chronic illness. Everything from the daily struggles, to the people around you not understanding your limitations, or worse - juggling the constant worry of your family and friends.

The witty banter between Chloe and Red was so fun and sexy. I liked their dynamic a lot.

What didn't work for me:

I wish we had seen more of the "before" aspect of Chloe and Red's relationship. It seems as though it was barely touched on that they didn't really like each other that much at first, but I wanted more of that. It felt like it had maybe been an enemies to lovers trope in the early stages of the novel, but it wasn't fully developed, or had been cut out in parts.

I feel like there wasn't much of the list completed.... Just me, here? Most of the book was banter between Chloe and Red, which I thoroughly enjoyed, but I feel like the book was supposedly about Chloe's "get a life" list, which we didn't actually get much of, in the end.

It's a romance novel, so maybe I need to get over myself here, but it seems like Red and Chloe fell for each other way too hard, way too fast. But hey, when you know, you know. Right?

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The parts that worked for me really worked. For the most part, this book was a breath of fresh air for me. Rarely do we get any story about chronic illness - Let alone a ROMANCE depicting a heroine living with chronic illness. As someone who struggles daily with my health, it was so empowering and validating to see my own life experiences played out on the page in such an accurate way. I saw myself in Chloe so much and overall I enjoyed this novel. 3 stars for me.

I can't recall a book I've read that addresses living with chronic pain and feel as though the author has tackled the topic really well. There is definitely some heavy steam in this book so be prepared if that type of content is not your preference. However, if you love contemporary romance that address more serious topics along with some steamy scenes, I definitely recommend this one.

This is an incredibly fun romance that hits all the right notes. It was nice to see a chronically ill person centered in the work, and one who gets to have some fun at that. The build up to the central romance seemed a tad rushed to me, but I loved how it played out. I think this relationship ends being extremely real (but in a good way). I am so looking forward to the next book!