Talia Hibbert has been on both my and Queen J’s “to-read” list for a while. When I got notification that I would be receiving a copy of Act Your Age, Eve Brown, I mildly panicked. I hadn’t read the previous in the series, Get a Life, Chloe Brown nor Take a Hint, Dani Brown. Read a series out of order?

Who do you think you are talking to? Not this list-making, anal retentive Queen.

And so I quickly binged Chloe and Dani. And I enjoyed them, but I didn’t really fall in love with Chloe or Dani as characters.

But Eve…oh Eve and her Jacob are one of the best things I’ve read in 2021 thus far. This story just made me so happy. It brought about so many emotions: happiness, laughter, sadness, a tinge of obsession.

The author did such a wonderful job describing autism and how it can present so differently. It’s no surprise I love characters that are neurodiverent, so a grumpy Hero that also is a little different? My kryptonite.

Act Your Age was such a happy and joyful book, even when it’s discussing difficult and emotional topics. One of, if not the best book I’ve read in 2021 thus far.

I didn’t think I could relate to a character from this series as much as I did Dani but I was wrong! She journals, she LOVES music and always has to have it playing, and there’s a scene towards the end with her family that really made me *feel something.* At first, I was really unsure about Eve. Her parents made good points about her and she seemed a little spoiled but her charm and willingness to grow as a character made me change my mind, obviously.
Additionally, I really loved the relationship between Jacob and Eve. They’re so completely different from each other on the surface; they shouldn’t work but they do and it’s wonderful to see. They are definitely the grumpy/sunshine trope or “annoyed to lovers.” Their banter made me laugh and smile so much. The build-up to their romance was particularly well done. It easily could have happened too quickly or too easily but I think the pacing was perfect. THE POND SCENE!! Both characters are incredibly thoughtful and the final resolution was the cutest thing. Talia Hibbert really gave me a relationship I had no trouble rooting for. Please check this out on March 9 when it releases!!
Only marginally related but there’s an @arcticmonkeys reference and it just made me happy because I’ve been aggressively listening to them for months now.

Talia Hibbert never disappoints! Her swoonworthy couples and palpable heat are a joy to read. Her dedication to telling stories of those often overlooked romantically is a voice sorely needed. Each sister seems to be my new favorite, and I look forward to seeing where she goes next!

OKAY THIS WAS TOO CUTE AND NOW I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO NOW THAT THIS IS OVER. I flew through this book in two days and could not get enough of Eve and Jacob.

While reading this book, I could not get over how messy, endearing, and adorable both Eve and Jacob were. Eve is kicked out by her parents and she is cut off until she supports herself and holds down a job for a year. Eve stumbles upon a job listing for a chef position at a B&B and Jacob is instantly put off by Eve. They definitely start off on the wrong foot, but Jacob is desperate for a chef and ends up hiring Eve. The way that they bickered was so adorable and Jacob was frustrated with her but still liked her, which made him even more frustrated. I love a good hate to love story and this one progressed so well!

Jacob is autistic and I really loved how well Eve and him meshed. They both took in each other's personalities and needs and never questioned them. They accepted each other and loved each other even more for who they were. I will say, the plot was very much character driven and not a lot really moved in the plot event-wise. Eve worked for Jacob and they worked through relationship trials. They were working towards this huge festival, but we didn't really get to see a lot that had to deal with that. But I adored their characters so much that I didn't mind that lack of plot too much. I loved seeing the entire Brown family and I really hope this isn't the last we see of these characters!

Incredibly sexy and uplifting, this story is an enjoyable enemies-to-lovers romance featuring neurodiverse leads. This book is funny, and I definitely laughed-out-loud during a lot of Eve and Jacob's witty banter. Though it's common for romances to be pretty whirlwind, I would have liked these characters to have had a little more time building the love part of their relationship before the inevitable third-act turmoil and happy resolution.

Refreshing romance with neurodivergent representation that isn’t the heart of the story. I love everything I’ve read by Talia Hibbert but her comedic timing is dead on and all the Brown sister books are laugh out loud funny. Eve and Jacob’s story is one of two people relatively comfortable with themselves (but occasionally at odds with the rest of the world) finding even more together—including laughter and hot sex.

YESSS! I've been waiting for Eve's story since I read Chloe's and I'm so happy the series held up. Granted, Chloe and Red are my absolute FAVE but Eve and Jacob are a close enough to almost make it a tie. Eve and Jacob were just so unapologetic about who they are and what they feel and my heart could barely take it! I'm so sad to see this series end.

I relate to both Eve and Jacob so much that it's scary. I really do appreciate the representation of neurodivergent people in romance, without defining these characters solely as atypical. Not only is this book a wonderful story about finding love, but it's also a love letter to anyone who's ever felt unappreciated and misunderstood. I could practically feel the love and longing emanating from these pages during all the emotional moments, and it chipped a little bit of cynicism off my ice-cold heart. Also, Gigi & Shivani are adorable. The entire Brown family plus Red and Zaf sound like a group of people I'd be proud to call my own.

Looking forward to reading more from Talia. I do hope we get a story about Alex Montrose.

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and I did not realize this book was part of a series until after I finished reading the book. This is a laugh out loud book about two individuals who seem so wrong for each other, but are actually perfect together.
Eve Brown is a mess in every aspect. She bounces from job to job, is a habitual shopper, and her family and friends never take her seriously. So her mom and dad told her they will no longer give her money and she needs to stay at a job for one year. So Eve makes a dramatic exit and interviews for a cook position with rigid Jacob Wayne, owner of the B&B inn. Jacob definitely did not want to give Eve the job, but a freak accident happens to Jacob and forces him to let Eve work at the B&B until he fully recovers. As Eve and Jacob start working together, they start forming a friendship, and both realize are they willing to take it to the next level with one another.
What makes this book so great are the two main characters. Eve is a carefree, tumble weed in the grass with no goals in her life and will give up easily on a job when it does not work out for her. Jacob is always in control with too many rules, and takes his job too seriously. So when they have intertwined in each other's lives, they balance each other out very well. Part of the storyline of Eve's not so perfect family and Jacob's own family dynamics makes this very realistic and relatable. Overall, the characters and the storyline is well thought out and so funny you do not want the story to end.

This is a love story. Actually it's two love stories. Maybe three? First, and in my opinion most importantly, it's a story about Eve Brown learning to understand, appreciate and love herself. Secondly, it's a very hot romance between Eve and Jacob. And third, it's me remaining devoted to Talia Hibbert. I will miss the Brown sisters so much, but I can't wait to dive into Hibbert's backlist, and I can't wait to see what she does next.

This is my third book with the Brown sisters and it was so fun to be back into the story. I really enjoyed the bed & breakfast and the view on autism. Eve is probably my least favorite sister. I was struggling to relate to her but I could see how she is going to be well-loved as a character with an inclusive background. I enjoyed Jacob and his straightfoward bluntess. I thought Hibbert did a great copy portraying what it is like to live with autism and how it would feel to be on the spectrum and misunderstood for being nero-typical .
This book was a lot more insta love feeling than the others, which I think is why I struggled a bit more with the relationship itself. As for the smuttiness, Hibbert was on par with her other books :)

If there’s something I’m not surprised by, it’s how much I loved this book!!! I adored the first two books in this series but I do think this one is officially my favorite of the trilogy! I love that we have two autistic main characters here, and that Eve and Jacob are just absolutely lovely from the moment we meet them and the book is just so much fun.

Trigger warnings are provided by the author at the beginning of the book and I’ll just paste it here: “This book mentions childhood neglect and anti-autistic ableism. If these topics are sensitive for you, please read with care. (And feel safe in the knowledge that joy triumphs in the end.)”

We met Eve in the previous books as the youngest Brown sister who was constantly changing jobs and professions on what seemed like a whim. Here, we see that it’s much more than just a flight of fancy, and there are reasons behind Eve doing what she does. She really is delightful and adorable, and nothing really keeps her down for long because she doesn’t let it. But when her own parents stage an intervention of sorts that hurts her deeply, she drives out into the country and winds up at a little town called Skybriar. And this is where, by the most fortunate of circumstances, she winds up applying for the job as a chef at a cute B&B called Castell Cottage and meets Jacob Wayne.

Jacob Wayne is, at first glance, a rather grumpy man who owns the coziest and picturesque B&B. The place seems rather at odds with his personality but the more you know him, you realize the gruff exterior is hiding the kindest man EVER. His last chef up and left one day and now he’s rather desperate to find a chef but nobody quite meets his high expectations and his best friend Mont (a nickname for a Eric Montrose) can’t be his stand-in chef forever when he has his own business to run. And of course, there’s a gingerbread festival of sorts that Jacob is determined to do well in and make a good impression at.

So normally, I don’t think I would be behind a character running a car into another character and physically harming them, but it really was an accident in this case and Eve is just so utterly apologetic about it all that it’s hard to be too bothered by it (also, knowing this book is set in the UK and Jacob having no outrageous medical bills for his hospital treatment is also a comfort). And this is how Eve suddenly becomes the chef at Castell Cottage while Jacob recovers.

Jacob is very forthright that he is autistic from the start to get any sort of awkwardness out of the way, not that he had to worry about any such thing when it comes to Eve. I will say that while there are two autistic leads in this book; Eve comes upon this realization later in the book. I did like how this book just presents this info like this is just how the characters are, and doesn’t make the book all about that or too much about anyone giving them grief. It’s refreshing.

This book is one of the BEST grumpy/sunshine books I’ve ever read and, really, mr. grumpy over here (Jacob) is just a sweet cinnamon roll underneath his icy walls and I LOVE HIM SO MUCH. His thorough thoughtfulness and care with how he runs his B&B just makes me want to cry and give him a hug. He’s really the most darling character who deserves all the best bed nests to sleep in. Meanwhile Eve is sunshine and soooo cute and hilarious, never letting anything or anyone keep her down for long, despite all the people who have tried to tell her she’s failed at something. I really adore Eve and love her so much.

So, I’m normally skeptical of traditionally pubbed books that try to say they’re a romcom because I don’t usually consider them very funny? But I definitely thing this book could be considered a romcom! It’s hilarious with very dry humor, and an assortment of unexpected circumstances to keep you on your toes and makes you burst out laughing.

I think my only critiques would be that a few minor things that are left unanswered even by the end, that I would have liked answered (did Eve ever cancel a certain commitment, who cooked that one day, when did Eve get paid, or did she ever wash her purple glittery dildo she called M’baku)? But most of all, I think with the way the story and with Eve’s position at the B&B was to help Jacob out with the Gingerbread Festival, it would’ve been lovely to have seen more of what they actually had planned for their booth, and the actual festival itself the first year they did it together. Alas.

I do love all the secondary characters in this book?? And while I was reading this, it was announced that the author will be doing a spin-off series in Skybriar with Mont as the first MC!!! I LOVE Mont, so this is the best news and the best timing. I would assume that the second and third books might be with Mont’s twin sisters as leads of their own books? The second one is supposed to be queer so I’m very excited about that!! Mont, Tessa, and Alex absolutely deserve their own HEAs and I’m so happy we get more Skybriar!!!

This book was ALL THE FEELS and while I can’t say I love a late third act breakup, this was wrapped up quickly enough and the whole book is a delight to read so I will let it go. Eve and Jacob are the cutest together and they do have scorchingly hot moments together and with lots of enthusiastic consent (no fade-to-black sex scenes here!!), and honestly I already want to re-read this book. I also can’t wait to listen to the audiobook for this, because I loved Ione Butler and her narration for TAKE A HINT, DANI BROWN, so I’m sure she’ll do an amazing job with this book as well. I never wanted this book to end, and it’s already one of my favorites for this year!

***Thanks to the publisher for approving me for this ARC on NetGalley.***

I kept putting this off not because I didn't want to read it, but because I already knew I was going to love it and I didn't want it to end. The first two Brown sisters' books have both been amazing reads and I naturally knew this final one would be the same.

I loved that this romance book again was cute and steamy and funny, but it also has the main male role with autism. We don't see that ever in romance books. The cameo from the other Brown sisters and the other family members were a nice touch as well.

I can't wait to read more books by Talia Hibbert!

Eve Brown is by far my favorite Brown sister. Her boldness, vulnerability, and empathy made me fall completely in love with her. Jacob was grumpy, loveable, and completely and utterly perfect.

The slow-burn and enemies to lovers aren't usually my favorite tropes, but Hibbert wrote this book so brilliantly that I wanted to savor every second of Eve and Jacob.

Eve may be my favorite Brown sister! Getting to see her figure out who she is and why she's struggled in certain areas of her life was exciting. I couldn't help but root for her. At the same time, Jacob was so likeable. He understood himself and was surprisingly intuitive when it came to Eve. Talia Hibbert does such a great job showing neurodiversity and chronic illness without the story being all about those topics. Her characters are still complex people living ordinary, often messy, lives.

Eve was spoiled brat. Jacob is responsible, but some how they work. Great story and dialogue great ending for the Brown sisters..

Oh, I was so looking forward to this one. Talia Hibbert is very clever, and she writes multi-dimensional characters who are also clever (and funny, and well-realized). While I enjoyed this book, it was, sadly and honestly, my least favorite of the Brown Sisters trilogy. Eve Brown, like her sisters, is delightful, unique, independent, and witty. Her story, compared to her sisters', felt a bit rushed and uneven. That said, Hibbert is so entertaining the book still works. I just wanted more. More time. More slow burn. More of Jacob's side.
<spoiler>I also have some real reservations about a a character self-diagnosing themselves on the autism spectrum. It's a real diagnosis and deserves more than a couple sentences about what some character traits might mean in terms of broader health. Although I love and appreciate the representation of people with autism being seen as desirable, I think the explanation as presented in the book deserved more nuance. The relevant section, when I read it as a person with family members on the autism spectrum in her family, did not sit well with me. While the representation is great, the execution felt like ticking a box--"Oh, this is the book where the sister has autism as her obstacle to overcome!" No thanks. Chloe's fibromyalgia in book one, for example, felt more authentically realized as part of the story. </spoiler>
The other two books take place over a longer time period, with the characters having already known each other. That time is not afforded here, and, as a result, this book feels a bit "insta-love"-y to me, which I find less believable, and therefore less enjoyable. That said, Hibbert definitely knows how to write a heartfelt, funny, sexy romance, and this is an obvious pick for contemporary fans-- especially those who want to support #ownvoices authors while gaining more racial and cultural (and neurotypical) diversity in their steamy fiction. That's a win for everyone.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for the Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review!

<i>**I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review**</i>

Based on the other two Brown sisters books, I was pretty sure I would like Eve's story. Instead, I LOVED it. As someone who loves stories filled with banter and grumpy but lovable men (Jacob has a lot of similarities with Luke Danes from <i>Gilmore Girls</i> so of course I immediately loved him), this was right up my alley. I mean, what's not to love about this book?!

A delightful and endlessly caring main character? Check! A surly small-town love interest with a heart of gold? Check! Fun new side characters that are absolutely begging for their own spin-offs? Check! The return of existing characters in unexpected but entertaining ways? Check! A discussion of the digestion concerns of ducks? Check! All the banter you could ever want? Check, check, check!

Overall, this book was wonderful. I read it practically in one sitting and can't wait to read more books by Talia Hibbert. Her work is amazing and I love everything she does.

(Presumably, this is the end of the Brown sisters series because all of the Browns are paired off, but I can see a spin-off trilogy in this book. We'll see what happens, but in the meantime, I'd read just about anything Hibbert writes.)

This was a cute ending to the Brown sisters' series. Was it my favorite book in the series, no. But was it a great ending to one of my favorite series, yes.

I think Dani Brown will still, always be my favorite sister, but Eve is really cute too.

Positives
Great discussion of neurodiversity and what that looks like. Ever since I first read the Kiss Quotient I have had a soft spot in my heart for neurodiversity in characters. Watching them fall in love is always a roller coaster and I love every second of it. We all fall in love in different ways.

Jacob is a squishy baby bear masquerading as a wolf. I love these types of heroes.

I think where this deducts stars is because I had a harder time getting into this book for some reason. I don't know why. I started and stopped it several times. I had a hard time relating to Eve for some reason. I thought it was too long in parts and in other parts I wanted more exposition. There are also lots of English pop culture references that I had to keep looking up. Eve loves music and I kept having to put down the book to explore what she was talking about. Which was a good and bad thing. I loved experiencing new music but then I had to pick the book back up and get back into it again.

Hibbert is an amazing author and I do think anyone that has read the other books in the series should pick this up.

Though I was a huge huge fan of both the first and second books in this series, for some reason the third just didn't click with me. I think it was because Eve bothered me-- she was a bit too spoiled and rich (though the other ones were rich as well, it didn't seem so blatant here), though I adored the love interest. I might come back to this one when I'm in a different mood. Still will read anything Hibbert writes!