HJ Recommends

Quite simply, there is buckets to love in this little snuggle. And perhaps more intriguing, is the deep paradox crafted in Danika; an incredibly intelligent woman, who literally writes and teaches about gender and race representation in literary and historical texts, yet has no understanding of why things are represented in the first place, aka the unscientific inexplicable nature of well, human nature.

From early on, work obsessed, part time witch Dani, calls on the universe to gift her with some fun man meat, and in due course, she sets up some pretty hefty boundaries for herself, in part because of a painful past and her often non-existent work-life balance. And in the midst she becomes a star in her own rescue adventure. Zaf, the ex football player, building body guard, initially appears incredibly OCD about WPHS, rescuing Dani from a fire drill and carrying her, quite unnecessarily out to the light of day. Zaf however, turns out to be some sort of Zeus like god (minus the tendency to cheat on his wife and blame it on the wind) and his back story is real, exquisitely painful and a powerful unpacked bag of masculinity. Hibbert appropriately explores anxiety in men and the real and present struggle and well – wow – if only men really did read romance novels and sisters in law threw them affectionately at their heads more often.

This was a tragically funny novel about an uber confidant woman who fell in love after being swept up by a social-media premise, who finds her heart at the end of the chain that lies between her envious breasts. Take a Hint Dani Brown presents the imperfect perfect character who was a delight to read and whom I can only imagine was a challenge to shape and write. I love people who live in their heads and whilst I could have traded the excessive descriptions for more of the internally answered rhetorical questions, it’s easy to rush on despite too muching. Undoubtedly, it is the beautiful pacing, and the witty and snort worthy writing that roller-coasters along without so much as a rail chug which, by the end enables anyone with a heart beat to be swept away and caught up in the thrill of it all.

Fun, sexy, smart. I thought GET A LIFE, CHLOE BROWN would be tough to top, but I liked this even more. Talia Hibbert is quickly becoming a "must buy" for me. Can't wait to read the next in the series.

Loved it so so much. I’m appalled that I missed the first in the series. ZAF and DANI are the best, refreshing characters I’ve seen in a while.

LOVED LOVED LOVED! I liked this even more than the 1st one - Dani Brown is EVERYTHING! Cute, steamy, great banter... this one checked all the boxes. Would totally recommend.

This book, like Get a Life, Chloe Brown, is an absolute TREASURE. I enjoyed every moment. The slow burn between Zaf and Dani is what other authors should study in their research. It’s perfect. Hibbert is an amazing author, and I will throw my money at her from now on. I love the bits of humor with the utterly serious and how carefully she addresses issues like mental illness. Absolutely brilliant.

Talia Hibbert’s wonderful Get a Life, Chloe Brown earned a place on my keeper shelf and made Hibbert an author to watch. Hibbert’s star continues to rise in the equally brilliant Take a Hint, Dani Brown (Avon), the second book in her Brown Sisters series. Here, a viral video brings two very different people together in a romcom that gives a fresh spin on the fake-relationship trope.

Ambitious workaholic Ph.D. student Danika Brown is focused on her academic career — and she has no time for romance. But when a sexy security guard rescues her during a fire drill gone hilariously wrong, she decides he might just be the guy she needs for a friends-with-benefits relationship.

Zafir Ansari is a former professional rugby player turned security guard who also runs a nonprofit sports charity for kids called Tackle It. He sees an opportunity to use his newfound social-media fame to help his children’s program. But he’s going to need Dani’s help to make it work.

Their public relationship blossoms into something else behind closed doors. In a twist, it’s Zaf who is the romantic at heart (he even reads romance novels!), and he wants to show Dani a different way of living — one that’s filled with fun and sex, yes, but also one that includes a work-life balance she has never known. Feelings blossom, and both Dani and Zaf grow as a result of their time together.

Like Hibbert’s previous Brown Sisters novel, the characters in Take a Hint, Dani Brown are real, fully developed, and affable. Dani is a pink-haired, bisexual force of nature, determined to live life on her own terms. Zaf is a gruff, handsome, well-muscled athlete who also happens to be a Muslim man who has experienced clinical depression. The connection between Dani and Zaf sizzles on the page, making you root for them to find their happy ever after. Hibbert doesn’t disappoint — in fact, she whets the reader’s appetite for the next book in this standout series!

This book was everything!!!! I absolutely loved it. It was funny, romantic, and sexy, while also tackling some serious issues like anxiety and grief. The main characters (Dani and Zafir) are both so lovable it’s impossible not to fall in love with them, the chemistry they had was everything, I was swooning!!! We all need a romance like that in our lives. I truly loved this book so much and cannot wait to read more of Talía Hibbert’s work!!!

Thank you so much HarperCollins Publishers and Netgalley for the advance reader copy.

CW: Anxiety, on page panic attack, talk of death of loved ones and depression in the past

To be honest, I knew I was gonna love this before I even started reading - not just because I’ve only seen rave reviews, but I just was expecting it after having so much fun reading Chloe Brown a few months ago. And it totally didn’t disappoint.

The author is amazing at writing sassy sarcastic dialogue and banter, and it’s on full display here. I was cackling for the most part and I totally needed that in my current state of mind. But there are also moments of quiet reflection, communication, pining and absolute love - and it all tug at my heartstrings. What beautiful writing. And on top of it, she deftly mixes up my favorite friends to lovers trope with fake dating alongwith some viral social media video (which seems to be theme in many recent romance novels but I can’t say I’m a fan), and it was all just a delight to read. There is a decent amount of angst but not so much that it frustrated me (thank you very much) and the conflicts are also resolved very organically without dragging them out which I really appreciated. To top it all, I adored the use of text messages and Instagram comments interspersed throughout the story because they were so hilarious.

The characters are definitely the highlight of this book. I would usually start with the female MC especially because she is the titular one here, but I want to talk about Zafir because he completely stole my heart. He is the definition of gentle giant, a retired pro rugby player who has anxiety and runs a charity to teach young boys how to take care of their mental health. He is extremely kind, compassionate, lovable and protective and just the perfect book boyfriend material. And he loves romance novels 😍😍😍. There’s one line he says in the book about how an HEA is not a spoiler but a safety net, and I related to it so much - it perfectly encapsulates my feelings about why I love this genre.

Dani on the other hand is a workaholic academic who is confident and sexy and knows it, has high ambitions professionally, but is also insecure in relationships because of past experiences. I just loved how much she valued her work and worked hard to achieve her goals, but it was also nice to see her realize the importance of finding a balance.

Both the characters grow a lot through their friendship, from Zaf learning to process his grief to Dani letting go of the baggage from her past relationships. Every scene of theirs together was adorable to read and I just loved their dynamic.

All the side characters were also such caring and considerate people, and I loved all of them. The Brown sisters have such a fun supportive relationship that it makes me miss not having any, and both the MCs respective best friends are awesome. I particularly loved Zaf’s Pakistani family who are all sassy and lovely and again, made me miss home.

To conclude, I know I’m repeating the word fun a lot but what can I say, that’s the overwhelming feeling I’m left with after finishing this book - fun and delight and joy. I highly recommend this to any romance genre lover, and in particular to anyone who wants to find an unforgettable book boyfriend.

I enjoyed this book so much. It somehow topped her first novel? If that's even possible? The characters were hilarious, funny AF. relatable, adorable and ugh my shipper heart can't handle it. 5/5 stars, would recommend to everyone.

📚 ℝ𝔼𝕍𝕀𝔼𝕎 📚⠀
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Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert ⠀
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 ⠀
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Dani and Zaf have been crushing on one another for awhile so when a photo of Zaf “rescuing” Dani from their office building goes viral they decide to enter into a fake relationship.. with benefits 😏 The only rule is to not to get attached because Dani doesn’t do long term relationships. Poor Zaf isn’t going to know what hit him! ⠀
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This one was so cute and I loved it so much more than Chloe Brown. I just connected way better with Dani and Zaf then I did with Chloe and Red. Dani is such a likeable character with her nerdy, bookish, quirky ways. Don’t even get me started on Zaf.. oh sweet, sweet Zaf my new book boyfriend. Put Dani and Zaf together and boom goes the dynamite! Their chemistry was just out of this world! This one does get pretty steamy but less so than Chloe. I loved that it was cute and flirty but also tastefully addressed mental health issues such as, anxiety and depression. Definitely give this one a try! It won’t disappoint.

This book was so much fun - I laughed out loud while reading alone, which isn't something that happens to me often! Visits to recurring characters from the previous book were lovely, and getting to know Dani further was thoroughly enjoyable.

Talia Hibbert has created a wonderful romance full of laughter, sexy-times, and normalisation of men having and expressing feelings (a trend I am LOVING in the romance genre). I read this book in less than 24 hours. And I'm a PhD student who doesn't have a lot of time. What you can take from that, is that this was an awesome book that I read into the wee hours of the morning when I should have been sleeping so that I can be as on-top-of things as Dani Brown. Talia Hibbert takes us on a journey where not only is our heroine a strong, kick-ass woman who knows what she wants but our hero is a strong, kick-ass man who struggles with anxiety, admits it, and seeks help for himself as well as provides help for other men. Also, he reads romance novels. Altogether, this was one of my favourite books of the year so far, and I can't wait to read more of Talia Hibbert's work!

I loved this book!
This was my first Talia Hibbert novel and it definitely will not be my last! As someone who struggles with anxiety and mental health, I loved that the book discussed those topics so well! The main characters in this book, Zafir and Danika, were developed so realistically and I quickly connected to both of them in many ways. There were a few steamy parts of the story, so if you're not into that kind of read then this probably isn't for you.

Overall I greatly enjoyed this book and will be recommending it to my friends!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced digital copy of this book!

Oh my heart I loved this. I absolutely love Danika and Zafir so much. They are both extremely headstrong and sassy characters and their banter is amazing, even before they start their relationship. But they are both hiding past heartbreak and pain that they both are determined to bury deep down within them. The story is STEAMY and the romance is so fun and sexy and easily swept me up. I love how the author tackled serious issues head on, describing and presenting them beautifully and showing AMAZING examples of how to treat others who have anxiety / have experienced loss. They don't shy away and they don't act like it's no big deal with an easy fix. I love that so much. Also the way that Dani and Zaf treat each other the whole time is amazing; how they truly listen to the other, both the big and small things and truly take an interest in the others' passions. Zaf reading romance novels is my absolutely favorite and I love how dedicated Dani is to her work and doesn't hide it or try to change. They are my new favorite romance couple!

In the second installation of the The Brown Sisters series, we follow the story of Dani Brown, an intelligent, career-driven PhD student, as she learns about work-life balance and letting people in. Dani is Black, bisexual and plus-sized, providing a fresh and absolutely necessary perspective. Another thing I love about this series is how the male love interests are real and vulnerable. Zafir Ansari struggles with anxiety and the grief that comes from losing close family members. He seeks out therapy, uses coping mechanisms and ultimately channels these negative feelings into something positive, sharing his healthy relationship with mental health with young athletes.

While the characters are entirely original, the plot follows a fake dating trope. After a picture gets misinterpreted by social media and goes viral, the two 'work friends' decide to fake date in order to boost Zafir's youth program. The characters were constantly in denial of their own feelings and went through near constant miscommunications. Perhaps because I am not the biggest fan of this trope, as it is based on lies, I did not absolutely love the plot. The characters, however, more than made up for it.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for diverse romance!

4.5 Stars

CWs: Dealing with traumatic familial loss, explorations of anxiety and depression, descriptions of panic attacks, graphic scenes containing sex

Talia Hibbert delivers again with a wonderful romance that's equal parts crass, hilarious, swoon-worthy, and sexy.

Dani is such a wonderful character. She's a confident, fat, bisexual, Black, practicing witch with an unforgiving sex drive who's afraid of commitment and she knows it. She knows what she wants, she knows that her priority is finding a sexual partner from the very beginning, and she's not ashamed of it. I also appreciate how she clarifies that not being interested in commitment is not the same thing as being aromantic, which she is not.

Her relationship and dynamic with Zafir is really nice to read about, because they compliment each other so well. It's also interesting to see their roles somewhat reversed, with Dani being the commitment-phobe and Zafir being the hopeless romantic who's definitely catching feelings. They both allow the other person room to grow and heal and reflect within their evolving relationship, which I really love seeing.

I think there was a great commentary on what commitment really means and what romance should look like in real life. Dani is dealing with the emotional trauma of past relationships, where she believes the break-ups happened because she's "incapable of being a good or normal girlfriend." But Zafir helps her realize that romance doesn't look like just one thing, and isn't the same across the board for everyone, nor should it be. A good romantic partner should compliment your needs and respect your differences, not chastize you for them.

While I can't speak to the representation of Zafir's mental health, I appreciate the inclusion of that experience in the story. It was especially interesting to see how he uses romance novels to cope with his depression, and how his struggles with mental health inspired him to create a program where he teaches young athletes to handle their emotional stress and unlearn toxic masculinity. Dani is patient and present when it comes to him dealing with anxiety, especially, which only made me appreciate their relationship even more.

I do think the story pushes the believability of the fake dating scenario a little too much. I love fake dating and I'll read pretty much any story that has it, but I wasn't sure how plausible it was that people would be so deeply invested in a couple from a viral video for as long as they were. And during the steamy scenes, I did question some of the anatomical language choices. But I will say that Talia Hibbert writes some of the best sex scenes in the business, so an off-color word choice here and there is a small price to pay.

Overall, this is a beautiful partnership to read about. The story is fun, and flirty, and sexy in all the right placs, and gives both characters a satisfying emotional arc as they grow together. I flew through this book because I enjoyed it so much, and I can't wait to see where the series goes next!

I devoured this book in a single day, and it was everything I wanted. Fake dating, tangible chemistry, a relatable heroine and a swoon-worthy hero? Hibbert nailed it. I found her descriptions of anxiety skillfully done, and her diverse characters felt effortless. It made me cackle to think that this was the exact type of book Zaf would be embarrassed to have playing out of his headphones. Equal parts hilarious, steamy, and heart-warming. I am such a fan.

I've devoured and recommended everything that Talia Hibbert has written since that first explosive and prolific year, and I was thrilled when she finally was recognized and picked up by Avon. Chloe Brown was characteristically strong but felt a little toned-down or maybe overedited to me, as if her voice wasn't quite allowed to shine through. I'm so pleased that she got to hit her stride again in this sequel! Take A Hint Dani Brown was one that will be a romance gateway for many new readers, as well as incredibly satisfying to seasoned ones.

Note to fellow librarians: please take this opportunity to seek out her full back catalog and add to your collections! They're hidden in the self-published section of Overdrive, I believe.

Thank you Avon for my #free review copy.
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Take a Hint Dani Brown is the second installment of the Brown Sisters trilogy. Chloe as the oldest was the first book (Get a Life Chloe Brown). I loved everything about Chloe.
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With Dani, things went a little slower. That is not necessarily a bad thing. I really had time to embrace the characters. Get to know them. Learn about them.
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I enjoyed the journey. You can read TAHDB before GALCB....or it can come before. It doesn’t really matter. Which I liked.
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Dani had the loveable plot of fake relationship. I adore that Romance trope. It’s just lots of fun. Well written., strong female and boom, it’s a win.
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Now to be completely transparent....this book is STEAMY. Very, steamy. If you are cool with that, you should pick it up!

I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!! All the stars and then some!!! Talia Hibbert is one of my favorite authors and this is now my favorite of her books. Every romance reader needs to read this!!!!

Deep breath. I need to stop screaming about how much I love this and share a little about why. Dani Brown is a confident, career driven woman who has decided romantic relationships aren’t something she wants. Casual flings only. No feelings involved.

Zafir Ansari is a tough, brooding security guard - who reads romance novels and teaches teenage boys about rejecting toxic masculinity and recognizing their feelings.

Zaf and Dani become friends and when circumstances align for them to need a fake relationship - why not? They are both clear on the boundaries.

Ah, my heart. I couldn’t love Zaf more. I love all the references to romance readers. I love all the amazing lines in this book that I underlined and reread and then read again. This book is steamy and sweet and made me laugh and made me cry. This will without a doubt be one of my favorite books of 2020.

Thank you so much to Avon for the free review copy.