I haven't enjoyed a contemporary romance book this much since The Hating Game! Eve Brown and Jacob Wayne were so cute I couldn't stand it. I loved that the story mostly takes place at a B&B and the fact that it's all because Eve hit Jacob with her car is hilarious.

I haven't read either of the other books in the Brown Sisters series but I'm definitely going to now and didn't feel at all like I was missing out not having already read them. I know this is the last book but I think Talia Hibbert should explore Jacob's friends next *hint hint*

I loved the autistic representation and body positivity included as well. Overall, Act Your Age, Eve Brown is an excellent read to kick off the summer with!

Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher!

I was unable to post a review in a timely manner due to a chronic neurological disorder interfering with my vision. However, I did promote this book in a blog post: http://thebookdivasreads.com/2021/04/11/book-recommendations-april-2021/.

This book was amazing! So funny and charming. I love a good enemies to lovers story. This was my favorite book in the series and this series got me into romance!

In the final novel in the Brown Sisters trilogy, we come to know Eve, the youngest in the trio. Right away I liked Eve because of the bright energy she exuded but also for her chaotic tendencies. Compared to the first two novels, it was great to see confident Black women who knew what their goals were and watching them reach those milestones. For Eve however, things have never been that straightforward or simple. Eve isn’t your average neurotypical (spoiler: she isn’t neurotypical) and finds it harder than her sisters and most people to stick with careers and projects. For one reason or another she always ends up fleeing the scene of her latest mishap. It was nice to read about someone who didn’t have it all together but was still brave enough to keep trying.

This book had some wonderful messages that I think can resonate with anyone needing a little positive affirmation or to see themselves in a character and indirectly be given grace. Hibbert made it clear that making mistakes does not negate your worth as a person and that you’re as deserving of love as anyone else. While Eve was hard on herself for not being perfect, she did grow and started being truer to herself by the end of the novel which was great. Falling in love and choosing to be with someone adds to one’s journey of self discovery because one has to be open with their partner and be willing to check themselves incase they fall back into harmful habits. All that is to say I love how Hibbert develops her characters and gives them real human depth.

This book was, if I’m recalling correctly, my first with Autistic representation in the main character(s). I appreciate that Jacob was a whole character and not (to me, please check me if I am speaking out of turn) just a poorly written addition just for the sake of it. He was a funny character to read but I also learned some things about ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) and how it may present in individuals. I’d definitely love to see more novels of all genres include more neurodivergent characters. Neurodivergent people are just as capable as neurotypicals and deserve to be depicted as such. I enjoyed Jacob’s character and the approach to navigating ASD very much. The characters have these parts of them but weren’t infantilized and were very much grown adults.

Now onto the romance! I love love loved it because it went from mutual dislike and apprehension to you-have-to-get-along-for-a-mutual-goal to friends? to friends! but….I like you? to fluffy goodness that I won’t completely spoil for y’all. While Eve is a purple-pink ray of sunshine, Jacob is a grumpy and often meaner than he means to be which is of course an entertaining match. Hibbert did not disappoint and their relationship and chemistry was enthralling. There was no shortage of sarcasm and witty banter, but also moments of vulnerability and emotion as they became closer friends. (And of course many sexy bits.) The romance was really developed nicely since Eve and Jacob were made to get along and play nice for work, but actually came to like each other quite a lot! While they got to know each other they learned things about themselves that brought up feelings and furthered their individual development which was Great!

I loved what Hibbert did and am a bit torn up about the series ending, but the great thing is all three books are totally re-read proof! This was a fresh and fun romance from start to finish. Thanks again to Hear Our Voices book tours, Avon Books, and Talia Hibbert for this great opportunity! I’m grateful to be a part of a promotion for such a wonderful book.

I loved Eve brown as expected the romance between her and Jacob was so lovely and fun to read about! A very calming and continuously hilarious romance.

Chloe & Dani, step aside! It’s Eve’s turn to shine. ⁣
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Have you heard other readers say they relate to Chloe and Dani SO MUCH? (myself included…) But maybe you just simply didn’t feel the same? Then Eve’s story is for you! ⁣
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Eve is so, so different from her sisters. She’s quieter, unsure what she wants out of her life, and often doubts herself. All of which is steeped in her past experiences.⁣
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So when her parents give her an ultimatum: hold down a job or lose financial support, Eve runs away to The Lakes and stumbles into a quaint B&B in need of a cook. While she *was* looking for a job, she certainly wasn’t looking for grumpy Jacob, the B&B owner who’s standards are a little too high for Eve’s more relaxed style.⁣
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With one earphone in at all times, Eve adjusts to her new independent life where she has to choose to bet on her skills, her heart, and herself. This story has all the charm (and representation - TWO autistic leads & accommodations is a MAJOR THEME!) of any Hibbert romance, and oozes the author’s adoration for the youngest Brown sister. You can’t help but feel the same.⁣
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While I must admit I am drawn more to Chloe and Dani’s stories, this series simply wouldn’t be complete without Eve! Talia Hibbert does it again and, yes folks, she is setting up for a spin-off series (that I heard will be her own takes on Jane Austen’s work 👀) for a brand new set of siblings. Just take my money already, Talia!!!⁣
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Steam Level: 🔥 🔥 ⁣
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cw: childhood neglect, anti-autistic ableism⁣
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What a great finale for the Brown sisters! I loved the neurodivergent representation that Hibbert put in the book.

This was a funny, and heart-warming book. Jacob's thought processes and blunt familiarity with friends made it hilarious. I loved the dynamic nature of Eve and how I got to witness her transform into someone who's confident in her abilities. The book did a good job delving into each characters' insecurities, but I wish it would have shown Jacob addressing his a little more. All in all a great book!

This series is funny, honest, sweet and sexy. And yes it's possible to be all of the above! This book features the youngest of the Brown sisters, Eve. She is a bit of "hell on wheels" (literally) in all she does and her parents have put their feet down and told her it's time to grow up or she will be cut off! So to prove that she can get and keep a job on her own, she crashes a B&B's inverviews, clearly unprepared and in her usual whirlwind fashion. The owner, Jacob Wayne who is her opposite in every way: controlled, and expects perfection in all things is not impressed. His immediate reaction is "definitely no!", but reconsiders because he is desperate and in a bind. When he goes outside to find her to offer her a trial, she hits him with her car. Yes, hurricane Eve has struck!

Eve, feeling terribly, decides that whether Jacob likes it or not, she will stay and help him recover from the accident. He obviously needs her help. And maybe he won't discover that she moved into his spare room at the same time! Enemies to lovers. Forced proximity. Rom-com. Plus the Brown Sisters.......and now we also have the Montrose Sisters (Jacob's best friend's sisters). You will laugh, you will cry, you will not want this to end!

Thank you Talia Hibbert for another amazing book!

As the last of the three Brown sisters novels, I was greatly anticipating reading Eve's story and Talia Hibbert did not disappoint! The romance between the two slightly messy characters was perfect and I loved the ending!

Closer to a 4.5, but a five due to the wonderful, light, happy feeling I got from completing this series, it deserves it. Talia Hibbert is amazing at sucking me into her stories; especially when she writes sister relationships so well. Eve and Jacob are great characters and the plot was the right mix or believable and romance fantasy. Eve's journey of self-actualization Eve embarks on and her fear of failing are both things I can relate to. Jacob's journey, while not the main focus, was still great and complements Eve's story wonderfully.

Okay, I think Eve may be my new favorite Brown sister!!

When Eve Brown ruins an expensive wedding she is paid to plan, things seem like they're at their worst. However, when her parents give her threaten to take away her trust fund payments until she proves she can hold down a real job, Eve feels like she has really hit rock bottom, But when Eve happens across a bed & breakfast looking for someone to help in the kitchen that piques her interest, she comes across Jacob Wayne, the very rigid owner who seems like he wants nothing to do with Eve. But who can actually resist Eve's charm??

I seriously loved this book. I love that Talia Hibbert has such a great way of incorporating diverse characters, in this case representing body positivity and characters with autism spectrum disorder. I did a combo of audio and e-book for this one, and enjoyed both. Highly, highly recommend!

Similar to the other book's in this series, Hibbert does a wonderful job with her characters and their journeys of self-discovery and becoming comfortable with who they are.

This is a fitting conclusion to the series. All three books are engrossing, fascinating, romantic stories featuring characters who are flawed and human and real. I wish this series would never end.

Read On, Romance
I recently read a trilogy out of order by accident: I picked up Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert (Avon, $15.99 each) on a whim and fell head over heels in love with Hibbert's writing style and character development. On learning that there was a prequel (Get a Life, Chloe Brown) and a sequel (Act Your Age, Eve Brown), I practically squealed with delight. All three of the Brown sisters books are full of insight and wit, with diverse sets of characters who reflect candidly and openly on matters of mental health, neurodivergence, ability and love--with some steamy romance scenes to boot. (Added bonus for audiophiles: all three boast excellent narration in the audiobook format.)

Because I came to Hibbert's trilogy later than many avid romance readers, I was able to binge-read all three back-to-back. The same was not true of Cat Sebastian's Sedgwick series. I waited with great impatience for the 2020 release of Two Rogues Make a Right, which followed It Takes Two to Tumble and A Gentleman Never Keeps Score (Avon, $5.99 each). This trilogy also follows a trio of siblings, as Sebastian spins stories of each brother's search for love and belonging in a historical era not known for its kindness toward queer men.

Megan Frampton's Hazards of Dukes novels put me back in the same position: I've read the first three of the series and am now eagerly awaiting the fourth (due out this fall). As much as I hate the waiting, I'm confident it will be worth it. Never Kiss a Duke; Tall, Duke, and Dangerous; and A Wicked Bargain for the Duke (Avon, $7.99 each) have all proven to be delightful historical romance reads for those looking for something to pick up while, say, keenly anticipating the next season of Netflix's Bridgerton.

Talia Hibbert creates magic once again in the finale of her Brown sisters' novels with Act Your Age, Eve Brown. Eve is the youngest Brown sister, and is trying to prove that she can get her act together. Of course, then she hits Jacob with her car. Jacob owns a B&B in a sleepy town, and is in desperate need of help, though he hates to admit it. Eve enters his world like a tornado, and neither of them will ever be the same.

This book was just lovely. It felt soft, somehow, like Hibbert was so careful with these characters and just cared about them so much. It's definitely steamy, but is also sweet. Jacob's rigidness and Eve's carefree ways are perfectly complementary, and seeing the two fall in love feels so effortless.

I adored this book, and can't wait to read Hibbert's next work.

The third and final book in The Brown Sisters trilogy was so damn good. I love all three books, but each book got progressively more amazing leading up to Act Your Age, Eve Brown. Which is probably one of my favorite romances now. Amazing autism rep written by an own voices author, excellent characters, the story, all of it. And it was, of course, very steamy. And I found the steamy sections to be really well balanced with the story and character arcs (which is the kind of romance I’ve found I liked, when the central plot/character development isn’t all about sex). Jacob was so damn good and pure, and I loved seeing Eve in a new light after reading the first two books.

While reading this book, I found myself thinking a lot about how often the romance genre is written off by a lot of people as just fluff with no substance or anything to offer. I don’t think romance is required to “have substance” beyond a love story, and in fact, sometimes that’s just what a person needs. But there are many great romances, especially coming out in recent years, that open us up to experiences we don’t know about and allow us to see ourselves represented. Too often we’re only exposed to the hardships of other people and our own peoples, and don’t get to see the joy. Read Act Your Age, Eve Brown to experience Black and autistic joy.

I just cannot do steamy romance novels! I find them so cheesy. This one was particularly graphic with its sex scenes as well. This is the third book in the Brown sisters series, and while I think that those who do like steamy romance would love it, it was not for me. It was very predictable, as most romance novels are. You know they will end up together... Of course, I wanted them to and was happy with the ending.

Act Your Age Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert
Publisher - Avon
Publish Date - 9 March 2021
Rating - 4/5 Stars

***Thank you to Netgalley, Avon, and of course, Talia Hibbert, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

IT’S EVE’S TURN TO SHINE! After seeing her sisters find love in their respective novels, Eve is no less of a hot mess. She can never get anything right, so why keep on trying? After a disaster of a wedding at the hand of her own chaos, Eve’s parents draw the line. She needs to grow up and prove herself. How? Well, that is up to Eve.

After being passed over for a chef position at a local B&B, quite rudely as well, by the owner, Jacob. Eve accidentally hits Jacob with her car, and now his understaffed B&B needs Eve’s chaos, sorry help. Soon she is working for him, in his kitchen and using his spare bedroom, all of which is Jacob’s worst nightmare. Eve is his worst nightmare - all of her sunshine and cheery behavior should be despicable to him, but…what happens when it isn’t?

this fast-paced rom-com has everything its sister novels had. I adored the main characters while laughing out loud over and over. I adored Jacob and Eve together, despite how mean he was to Eve when they first met. Dislike at first sight, rivals, enemies to lovers is always a promising trope known to make me smile!

Don’t sleep on the youngest Brown sister!

I think I like Eve best! I like Chloe. I loved Dani, but Eve owns me!
Talia Hibbert has the right stuff when it comes to creating a funny, witty, sweet, and HOTTT romance.
Automatic purchase and I can't wait to see what she comes out with next.