Dani is a bi Phd student and is not looking for a serious relationship. She always have great banter with Zaf, the security guard at her university. When he is captured rescuing her on video, they go viral on social media. In order to help Zaf's side project, she agrees to be his fake girlfriend, since the viral video is bringing him a lot of positive attention. The thing is Zaf is already really into Dani, so this is not going to end well. I love that Talia Hibbert writes about such diverse characters, I cannot wait for Eve's story.

I loved Get a life, Chloe Brown, and was so excited to get my hands on the next installment in the Brown sisters trilogy. Dani's journey was very different from Chloe's, but each got their HEA. I loved the story; it was just the distraction I needed in these stressful times. Hibbert writes with heart and humor, and I love spending time in the world of her characters.

I was lucky enough to receive an advanced readers copy of Take a Hint, Dani Brown right after finishing Get a Life, Chloe Brown so I was able to be immersed in the Brown sisters for a while. The second book did not disappoint! I loved the contrast between the sisters, but that you can also feel their sisterhood. I really appreciate the different cultural viewpoints represented in these characters. Although they are from different ethnic, economic, and religious backgrounds those differences are not the cause of issues between the couple, just a part of who they are. Often times in literature overcoming these identity differences are the focus of a couples story, but this book simply presents two people who are ethnically dissimilar who fall in love. The author's approach of not portraying the characters as physically "ideal" is really refreshing as well. As an avid reader of this genre you become accustomed to most character descriptions being chiseled muscles and tiny waists, etc. But Dani and Zaf don't necessarily fit those stereotypes, nor are body insecurities an issue, which is outside the norm of most romance novels in the best way possible! I thoroughly enjoyed Take a Hint, Dani Brown and am looking forward to reading the third Brown sister story, which, to this reader, is the highest compliment a book can earn!

I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Danika Brown is extremely driven towards academic success. She’s sick of romance and just wants a good “no strings attached” hook up every now and then, is that too much to ask for? After yet another breakup, with yet another woman who wants more than Dani has to offer, Dani asks the universe to send her the perfect friend with benefits. A few weeks later, the grumpy (but super hot, obviously) security guard at the building she works in, rescues her from a fire (drill) and the video of him carrying her to safety goes viral. College students everywhere are shipping them as a couple.

All of a sudden Zaf is getting tons of attention on the account for the charity that he runs, because of the viral video. He asks Dani if they can pretend to be in a relationship for a few weeks to keep the momentum going and help his charity. Ah, the fake relationship trope, a tried and true favorite for romance novel junkies everywhere to be sure. Obviously, Dani agrees to Zaf’s fake relationship idea with plans to seduce him. It works. But will something more grow between them? And will Dani Brown, take a hint?

I liked this book. I liked that it tackled important and complicated issues like anxiety and the death of loved ones. I like that it is about two really strong main characters. Dani is a successful, driven, passionate black bisexual witch and Zafir is a Pakistani Muslim rugby player with a secret romance novel obsession who is running a charity to help young athletes end the stigma against mental illness. It’s rare that a romance novel has two truly strong and diverse leads.

I did think this book took some time to really ramp up and get me invested in the story. However once I was invested, it was a good read. Although Dani’s apprehension towards relationships does tend to get just a little bit annoying though out the story. Sometimes you just wish you could shake her and yell, “get over it!”

Thank you to NetGalley, the HarperCollins Publishers, and Talia Hibbert for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

You can read my reviews on my blog at lolosbookshelf.com
Or follow me on instagram @lolosbookshelf

#NetGalley #TakeAHintDaniBrown

This was a very solid Romcom effort, with likable protagonists and a pretty sweet, if predictable story arc.

A new book in the world of the Brown sisters! I really enjoyed Get A Life Chloe Brown so I was looking forward to this next book! Not a sequel, a new story about Chloe’s sister Dani. Romantic, sexy, touching & funny - I recommend this book (as well as the first, read it if you haven’t already)!!

I can’t believe it, but this was just as good as “Get a Life, Chloe Brown”. Introspective, emotional, and unbelievably adorable. 10/10 Would read again. #DrRugbae forever.

Take A Hint, Dani Brown is a funny, adorable, quick read that I couldn’t seem to put down. The characters seem so real, like people you would meet in every day life. I loved getting to know Dani and Zafir and watch their romance grow.

Talia Hibbert is an essential addition to your romance collection. Her voice is distinct, her characters unique, and her stories fresh and addictive.
This contemporary is the second in the Brown Sisters series, and features a fake relationship, a too busy for love heroine, and a grumpy romantic hero.

Oh my goodness, I finished this book in under two days. It is a rom-com and tons of fun with truly likable characters. It is a little coarser than some other books in this genre; The Wedding Date series comes to mind, but that is part of its charm. This is a feel-good, diverse, book that hits it right.

Danika Brown is a teacher at a university where Zafir is a security guard. Every morning, she brings him a coffee and he gives her a protein bar, and they have a little flirtatious banter. She doesn't want a relationship, doesn't believe in happily ever after. He reads romance books and wants his HEA in the worst way.

I think we can all see how these characters are going to play out, but I liked the extra dimensions. Dani is bi and confident in herself. She is successful, has a great family life, and seems to know what she wants for now. Zaf is Muslim (but not practicing) and also very close with his family. His father and brother were killed in a car accident a number of years ago, which threw him into a depression and caused him to leave his career as a rugby player. So now he works his day job and volunteers with kids, teaching them the sport and helping them deal with anxiety, depression, and feelings, in general.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

Talia Hibbert focuses on the next Brown sister in this latest installment of her series. One thing I love about Hibbert’s work is how tender she is towards her characters, who feel like real people - warm, tender hearted, flawed, and all struggling in some way. Dani struggles with insecurity, not realizing how it affects her ability to open up to her lovers and makes her feel as though she deserves anything bad that happens to her. Zafir struggles with anxiety, and an inability to move past his grief from the loss of his father and brother. The two find each other, and begin to heal amidst their hijinks - carrying on a fake relationship to bring Zafir’s business some much needed attention. Sweet, charming... it’s easy to see yourself in these characters and fall in love alongside them.

Danika Brown knows exactly what she wants in life: to be a full professor by the time she is forty, and a no-strings relationship. Her first boyfriend and subsequent partners made it clear that she isn’t any good at the non-physical parts of a relationship, so she doesn’t bother. Zaf Ansari also knows exactly what he wants: to put his past as a professional rugby player behind him, get his non-profit off the ground, and to fall in love. In the meantime, he works as a security guard in the building where Dani teaches. Their friendship and mutual admiration society take a turn when a video of Zaf carrying Dani out of the building during an emergency evacuation drill goes viral. All the good press has sent donations skyrocketing, and Dani is willing to help out and play the fake girlfriend, especially if she can use the time to seduce Zaf. The rules? No real feelings, and it ends in a month. That may be more complicated than either of them expected.

This is the second novel in the Brown Sisters series by Talia Hibbert, though it can easily be read as a stand-alone work. Both Dani and Zaf are multi-dimensional characters, and their mental and emotional health difficulties are treated with respect. The plot was fun, and there was no villain in the story, which is definitely a plus. So why only three stars? The book was too explicit for me, I lean more towards the “cozy” end of the romance novel spectrum than the erotic. Can you skip over the explicit scenes and not lose the plot? Definitely, but you’ll be skipping over sizeable portions in the middle of the book. Dani and Zaf are interesting characters and I feel like there was space for a lot more plot in the story. That all being said, if you are looking for a feel good romance novel with steamy content, I can’t recommend this highly enough.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

I liked Get a Life, Chloe Brown. I LOVED Take a Hint, Dani Brown. This is such a great series. The characters are diverse (like actually diverse: I’m talking black bisexual female lead and a Muslim man who openly discusses mental health!!!!) and real and so, so lovely ❣️ This series keeps getting better and better. I can't wait for Eve's story!

After reading Get a Life, Chloe Brown, I was very excited to read this book.

I was hooked immediately, and stayed that way up until the very end. Dani is a tough character, but I loved her all the same, and Zaf was such a cinnamon roll that he was impossible not to love as well.

While the book is hilariously funny and beautifully written, i found myself laughing out loud so often throughout the book. It also addresses issues such as grief, loss, difficulty expressing emotions, and generalized anxiety disorder sensitively. Toxic masculinity is addressed as well, and I think my favorite part of the book was how Dani and Zaf do not conform to traditional gender roles in relationships. The intimate scenes were super hot, too.

The witty banter between ALL of the characters, not just Dani and Zaf, was like my bread and butter. I bonded with both Dani and Zaf early in the story, and was rooting for them right from the start. It was a relationship I wanted to see succeed, and Talia Hibbert definitely did not disappoint.

Thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC copy of this book available to me.

I did enjoy this book, just not quite as much as I did the previous book (Get a Life, Chloe Brown). I think I was just a bit too annoyed with Danika Brown, although I really enjoyed her romantic partner (Zafir) and his extended family. I did grow to like Danika a bit more toward the end of the book, and the book has a very satisfying ending and epilogue. I did think the book dealt nicely with Zafir's anxiety issues. And we also get to see Chloe, Red, Eve, and even Gigi in a couple of short scenes.

It appears that sister Eve's story will be covered in the next book, but some of the supporting characters from this book would also make nice main characters.

I fell in love with Talia Hibbert’s writing with Get a Life Chloe Brown and had high hopes for the next Brown sister’s story. I was not disappointed! Talia has a knack for creating diverse characters that charm you. On top of that, she creates tension and chemistry, leading to delightful intimacy. I also really love that the men in this series so far have been free of toxic masculinity. The unique Brown sisters are full of wit and sass, creating endless entertainment throughout their stories. Highly recommend!

This series continues to make me so happy. Each sister has a uniquely interesting life story, and there were just enough cameos from Chloe Brown and other characters from Get A Life, Chloe Brown.

Danika and Zafir’s friends-to-lovers fake dating situation is a ton of fun. There are still lots of tropes in this story, but some of them are flipped on their head: Zaf is an anxious, athletic, romance-reading Muslim guy, working as a security guard w a nonprofit side hustle, and Dani is a Black, bisexual, witchy workaholic feminist PhD student with a penchant for one-night stands. Their fake dating situation revolves around social media. I find most “viral tweet” stories to be a little cringeworthy, but once I’d suspended disbelief regarding how long things last on the internet, it ended up being a pretty effective catalyst.

The tension built at a good pace, and the bumps in their relationship mostly felt realistic. I do think the descriptions of each character’s ~core inner struggle~ could improve. Hibbert seems to use a formula where she picks a catchphrase for each character, like Zafir talking about drawing lines between his past and present, and just has them repeat it in their head 20 times before they finally say it out loud and the other person quickly helps them realize that their life philosophy is actually a bad coping mechanism.

Zaf and Dani’s connection was really sweet and there are a lot of great elements involved in the story: grief, overcompensation for past mistakes, close family bonds, supportive friendships, awkward fake date situations, and feminist theory. All of that helps make up for some of the extremely cheesy lines that are said throughout the book (I don’t think I noticed that as much in Chloe Brown...maybe because I had listened to the audiobook and the sillier dialogue just sounded better in a British accent?!)

Can’t wait for Eve’s story!!

This is my third Talia Hibbert novel and I have to say they are all 5 starts. I’m so happy she is working on a third Brown sisters story.

Take a Hint, Dani Brown is a wonderful follow-up to Get a Life, Chloe Brown. Dani and Zaf are very different from the other characters and their story is beautifully put together. It was great getting to know each of them and their respective issues. I enjoyed the fake relationship for media purposes. It was cleverly written and helped put the characters into a situation they weren't used to having. The focus on sex was a little meh for me. I would have preferred more of the characters really getting to know one another. Regardless, it was a great book. I can't wait to read the next one. I think our patrons will enjoy this follow up to Chloe Brown.

Talia Hibbert delivers once again. Equal parts hilarious, charming, and steamy, it’s a delight to see the Brown sisters once again.