
'Get a Life, Chloe Brown' by Talia Hibbert follows the story of Chloe Brown, a quirky web designer living with chronic health issues, who embarks on a journey to break out from her boring life. She creates a list of new experiences to try and enlists the help of Redford Morgan, the building superintendent, to guide her. Despite starting out as adversaries, Chloe and Red's relationship progresses believably, leading to a cute and steamy romance. The book skillfully weaves in themes of chronic pain, abusive relationships, and disability, all while maintaining a balance between humor and meaningful discussions.
The writing style in 'Get a Life, Chloe Brown' is described as charming, funny, and heartwarming. The characters, especially Chloe and Red, are portrayed as real, funny, and troubled individuals rather than perfect romance stereotypes. The novel delves into important topics like chronic pain and abusive relationships with care and emotional intelligence, making it a refreshing and engaging contemporary romance read.
Genres:
Tropes/Plot Devices:
Topics:
Notes:
Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings include discussions of chronic illness and past emotional abuse.
Has Romance?
The romance is a central aspect of the story, with a high level of romantic connection between the main characters.
From The Publisher:
Ripped Bodice Awards for Excellence in Romantic Fiction
"Absolutely charming... a flawless balance of humor, heat, sweetness, and depth, and I loved every page." - Helen Hoang, USA Today bestselling author of The Bride Test
USA TODAY BESTSELLER
A witty, hilarious romantic comedy about a woman who's tired of being "boring" and recruits her mysterious, sexy neighbor to help her experience new things-perfect for fans of Sally Thorne, Jasmine Guillory, and Helen Hoang!
Chloe Brown is a chronically ill computer geek with a goal, a plan, and a list. After almost-but not quite-dying, she's come up with seven directives to help her "Get a Life", and she's already completed the first: finally moving out of her glamorous family's mansion. The next items?
Enjoy a drunken night out.
Ride a motorcycle.
Go camping.
Have meaningless but thoroughly enjoyable sex.
Travel the world with nothing but hand luggage.
And... do something bad.
But it's not easy being bad, even when you've written step-by-step guidelines on how to do it correctly. What Chloe needs is a teacher, and she knows just the man for the job.
Redford 'Red' Morgan is a handyman with tattoos, a motorcycle, and more sex appeal than ten-thousand Hollywood heartthrobs. He's also an artist who paints at night and hides his work in the light of day, which Chloe knows because she spies on him occasionally. Just the teeniest, tiniest bit.
But when she enlists Red in her mission to rebel, she learns things about him that no spy session could teach her. Like why he clearly resents Chloe's wealthy background. And why he never shows his art to anyone. And what really lies beneath his rough exterior…
"This is an extraordinary book, full of love, generosity, kindness and sharp humor." - The New York Times Book Review
*Featured on the TODAY Show! Named a Best Romance of 2019 by Entertainment Weekly, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, Apple, and Amazon, and Best of November from Essence, Woman's Day, Marie Claire, Buzzfeed, Popsugar, Bustle, Bookish, Bookpage, Entertainment Weekly, and Washington Post*
Ratings (122)
Incredible (18) | |
Loved It (36) | |
Liked It (40) | |
It Was OK (17) | |
Did Not Like (10) | |
Hated It (1) |
Reader Stats (287):
Read It (130) | |
Want To Read (99) | |
Did Not Finish (3) | |
Not Interested (55) |
8 comment(s)
“Get a Life, Chloe Brown” is steamy romantic comedy consisting of prologue, twenty-three chapters, and ends with an epilogue.
Prior to beginning of novel is an author’s note to the reader that this book discusses healing after an abusive relationship and living with chronic pain.
The prologue involves thirty-one year old Chloe Brown nearly dying by being hit by a drunk driver which leaves her left in shock. After her near death experience, Chloe reflects on her uneventful life and decides to change things up by moving out of her family’s glamorous house where she lived with her parents, grandmother Gigi, and younger sister, Eve.
Chloe is chronically ill with fibromyalgia and takes various medication. Although Chloe is grateful to have two understanding sisters who sympathize with her fibromyalgia, her diagnosis has cost her friends and romantic relationships.
Chapter one occurs two months after Chloe’s near death experience as Chloe is living in a new apartment. Redford “Red” Morgan is the apartment’s handyman who has a soft spot for crying women and artistic sensibilities.
Red views Chloe as a rich ice queen which brings up bad memories but he finds her attractive despite her cool behavior.
Chloe is a planner and makes a list to get a life by getting drunk, riding a motorcycle, go camping, go traveling, and do something bad. Although Chloe writes many lists, few of the lists have been completed. Once Chloe discovers that her sister Dani has bet that she will abandon her latest list, she becomes determined to accomplish all the items on her list, regardless of how it is done.
Chloe keeps distance from Red because he was too much for him to handle and every interaction with him ends badly. Chloe doesn’t understand why Red likes everyone except her. Although she keeps distance from him during the day, see secretly watches him paint on his apartment at night.
Red is aware that Chloe is watching him paint in his apartment but is unsure of why she’d be watching him. Red has been in a professional artistic slump since breaking up with his ex-girlfriend.
Chloe feels it’s better to be alone than in a relationship where she could be abandoned. Liked that Chloe is plus size and mentions the perils of being an black woman regarding choosing to use a chemical relaxer on her hair since she doesn’t have the endurance to care for her natural hair. Chloe feels that bite sizes of bravery will add up to being less boring and having a life.
Red initially doesn’t care about Chloe’s opinion of his art. Red is still hurting from an abusive relationship with an ex who was rich but who treated him like an accessory.
Red and Chloe become vulnerable around each other since they see a brokenness in each other. Both view their lives on two parts: a before and an after.
Chloe eventually knocks down Red’s defenses and they fall in love. When a misunderstanding occurs, Red responds angrily which leads to Chloe shutting down.By the end of the novel, Chloe gains a relationship and a friend and Red gains a relationship, begins therapy and confidence to share his artwork with the world again.
Interesting to learn about the side effects of fibromyalgia including headaches, shooting pain, fever, confusion, and loss of short term memory. Loved Chloe & Red’s flirty banter through email. Hibbert shows how multifaceted people can be whether it is a motorcycle riding art nerd or a video game playing computer geek.
Overall, I enjoyed the development of Chloe and Red separately and as a couple as well as the vulnerability Hibbert uses when writing about Chloe’s medical condition. I definitely plan to read the other book in the Brown sisters series.
4.5 stars. Overall enjoyable book.
This is a really sweet romance without too much angst. I really loved the chronic illness rep (fibromyalgia).
4.5*
This book had me sobbing at the end omg I’m still emotional!!
I liked it but didn't love it. I like more dramas in my romance books
It was nice and healthy. I like the dynamic and relationship between Red and Chloe. But i think i realized that i love romances with more drama and tiny bit of toxicity which says something about me but the book was slow for me. I still liked it tho
great rep for characters with disabilities, as well as interracial relationships
When you click the Amazon link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commision, at no cost to you.