Get A Life, Chloe Brown (The Brown Sisters #1) by Talia Hibbert

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Talia Hibbert, one of contemporary romance’s brightest new stars, delivers 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 glamourous 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… 

Source: library borrow from Hoopla Audio


This is only my first Talia Hibbert novel and I am absolutely blown away by what a fantastic storyteller she is! The title and the cover give you the idea that it'll be a fun, whimsical rom-com and to a certain extent it is. However, it also busts any myths about living with chronic illness. Hibbert doesn't extract pity from the reader but rather informs and educates through this marvelous story of a woman determined to not be afraid anymore, and who wants to conquer the world by ticking off one thing after another on her list. 

Chloe was an instant hit with me what with her funny, smart and sarcastic personality. She's just so bright and resolute despite how often her fibromyalgia kicks her down. Moving out from under her family's ever-watchful eye is what she needed to do for herself to starting living and experiencing things again. Red, the superintendent of her building notices her and assumes she's stuck up upon their first meeting. He's had enough experience with those types and doesn't want to have anything to do with that. Except that Chloe is like a magnet. He can't resist her. Underneath her barbed responses and quick run-ins, Chloe can't stop thinking about him, either. An awkward encounter involving a tree and a cat bring them together, and I honestly have never laughed so much listening to a book. 

Both Chloe and Red have been hurt by their exes and people they were close to. This is where Hibbert had me - she details so intimately how Chloe's illness has affected her friendships and how not everyone is patient when she goes through her rough spells. I didn't know much about fibromyalgia but reading how it affected Chloe was eye-opening. When there's flare up she's pretty much out of commission. A lot of time is spent managing the pain before she can start feeling herself again and pop back to life. These are the moments when Chloe is most vulnerable and simply tired. And for Red to start noticing the little details is truly sweet. I get Chloe being skeptical because why let anyone get close if they're just going to walk away when things are bad? But Red makes it clear he wont abandon her even if she does try to push back. 

There's so much amusement in this story because Hibbert refuses to let her heroine be a victim. Not only is Chloe a warrior but she's thriving because she's found a way to live her life and make adjustments for when she absolutely needs to. A reviewer friend, who's never led me astray with books recs, even told me that she felt like Hibbert had described her life. I take that as not only an incredible compliment to the author but also a grateful hat tip for bringing an invisible and misunderstood disease to the forefront. Hibbert knows what she's talking about and brought her research, sensitivity and compassion to Chloe's story.

Aside from Chloe and Red, there are also other characters such as Chloe's sisters and a strange cat owner who bring even more laughs and colour with their presence. If you can, I highly recommend the audiobook because the narrator does a smashing job of bringing them all to life. I especially love the contrast she does between Chloe's sometimes high-pitched silliness and Red's low grunts and quiet demeanour. Their interactions made me laugh so much to the point that I had to clutch my sides from laughing so much! 

I loved Get A Life, Chloe Brown and I want nothing more than to read the next book, Take A Hint, Dani Brown, right now. So, yay! More of the Brown sisters to come because they are a crazy, lively bunch and I love them!

~ Bel

Can't Escape Love (Reluctant Royals #3.5) by Alyssa Cole

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Regina Hobbs is nerdy by nature, businesswoman by nurture. She's finally taking her pop culture-centered media enterprise, Girls with Glasses, to the next level, but the stress is forcing her to face a familiar supervillain: insomnia. The only thing that helps her sleep when things get this bad is the deep, soothing voice of puzzle-obsessed live streamer Gustave Nguyen. The problem? His archive has been deleted.

Gus has been tasked with creating an escape room themed around a romance anime…except he knows nothing about romance or anime. Then mega-nerd and anime expert Reggie comes calling, and they make a trade: his voice for her knowledge. But when their online friendship has IRL chemistry, will they be able to escape love?

Source: advance e-galley provided in exchange for an honest review


I hadn't thought about how much story the world of the Reluctant Royals has in it. Alyssa Cole has managed to stretch this series out by continuously introducing fascinating characters with equally fascinating backstories ensuring that there'll be no suffering from boredom here. Admittedly, the premise that mega nerd and influencer, Reggie reaching out to fellow mega nerd and bit of an introvert, Gustave to request the use of his voice to help her fall asleep sounds way out there. But if I've learned anything from my exposure to the Reluctant Royals is that unlikely things do happen and usually result in some amazing consequences. 

So, yes, Reggie makes her offer to Gustave and he takes her up on it though making a few changes. Since he has to create this escape room based on a popular anime that he knows nothing about, why not make a counter offer? They could barter services, so to speak: his voice for her anime knowledge. And they have a deal which means ample opportunity to get cozy with each other every day as they work on their projects. Gustave may be a genius at puzzles but he's not so adept at understanding people and social cues. Reggie is different for some reason. They've already established a relationship when she was his one and only YouTube follower way back when, so it's not like they're complete strangers. He finds her mind fascinating. She feels the same way about him though she hasn't necessarily wanted to get close to anyone. She loves this career she's created and the fact that it's founded in something she loves doing. Her enthusiasm is infectious and it only spurs Gustave on to want to do better.

At no point does Gustave treat Reggie's disability as a hindrance. In fact, he's more impressed by how she's navigated her surroundings to work for her, not letting anything stop her if she can at all help it. He even manages to get the industrious workaholic to take a breather every now and then. The main challenge is in dealing with her parents. If you've read Duke by Default then you know that Reggie and her twin sister, Portia have always been pitted against each other. The expectations placed on them have resulted in strained relationships between siblings and parents. I liked that we got to see Reggie's perspective on this. 

Can't Escape Love was such a pleasing read. I love seeing two people perfectly matched in intellect and passion make it work.

~ Bel

The Season of You & Me by Robin Constantine

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Cassidy Emmerich is determined to make this summer—the last before her boyfriend heads off to college—unforgettable. What she doesn’t count on is her boyfriend breaking up with her. Now, instead of being poolside with him, Cass is over a hundred miles away, spending the summer with her estranged father and his family at their bed-and-breakfast at the Jersey Shore and working as the newest counselor at Camp Manatee. 

Bryan Lakewood is sick of nevers. You’ll never walk. You’ll never surf. You’ll never slow dance with your date at prom. One miscalculated step and Bryan’s life changed forever—now he’s paralyzed and needs to use a wheelchair. This is the first summer he’s back at his former position at Camp Manatee and ready to reclaim some of his independence, in spite of those who question if he’s up for the job. 

Cass is expecting two months dealing with heartbreak.

Bryan is expecting a summer of tough adjustments.

Neither of them is expecting to fall in love.


Sometimes a broken heart leads to a decision that can take a person on a different course. That's what happens when Cassidy decides to escape for the summer after finding out that her college-bound boyfriend had cheated on her. Some part of her thinks she's running away but she's hoping that a change of scenery will help her forget about her ex and learn to adjust to being on her own. She heads to the Jersey Shore where her father and stepmother run a bed and breakfast. There she can make fresh new memories with her summer job as a camp counselor at Crest Haven and with her dad's family. At camp she meets Bryan who's a paraplegic. He, too, is learning to adjust after a life-changing accident. He has so much to prove to himself and others but his fears of not being as good at something he excelled at prior to his accident are holding him back. He and Cassidy get on well and end up working together often. He looks forward to seeing her because for him, it's nice to be with someone who isn't aware of his past history, and Cassidy enjoys their easygoing friendship. Until they figure out where they're headed, they'll just continue to enjoy each other's company.

"And in that moment, as she held out her hand to let the firefly loose, I realized that I didn't care whether she was in Crest Haven for four minutes, four hours, four days, or four weeks. I wanted to be in Cassidy's life, to know her, and whatever time we had, it would have to be enough."

I've read all three of Constantine's books and I've liked them all. Her coming-of-age stories feature amiable heroines along with other sensitive, sweet characters that I adore. Cassidy and Bryan are no exception. I enjoyed their flirtations and the precious moments where they confided in each other or egged each other on. Seeing how as an outsider, Cassidy started to fit in with a new group of friends who have their own history is something that every single one of us can relate to. Most importantly, family is always at the heart of Constantine's stories. There's always family to turn to; to root them, to guide them and to simply love them. 

"Mom looked dreamily up to the sky again, her face softened. 'Copping out of what? Cassidy, you're spending the summer with your father, you're not running away. You're changing the scenery. There's a difference. You're opening yourself up to new experiences. That's all, nothing wrong with that. This will be good for you.'"

The Season of You & Me, is perfect for you if you're looking for a friends-to-couple or a conquer-your-fears or a I-can-find-my-own-happiness story. It'll give you good vibes all around!

~ Bel


Here's are my reviews of Constantine's other books if you're interested, The Promise of Amazing and The Secrets of Attraction.

You and Everything After (Falling #2) by Ginger Scott

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I’m that teenaged girl who has MS. You haven’t met me, but you’ve seen me around. You probably know my sister. We’re twins, and she’s the pretty one. Maybe you’ve heard about my reputation, how much I like to hook up at parties—how easy it is to get me in bed, get what you want, and forget about me after.

Forget what you think you know. I’m leaving that girl behind.

College is all about new beginnings. So from now on—I’m just Cass. And the rest…it isn’t written yet. And no one else gets to write my story for me.

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“Tyson Preeter doesn’t do can’t.”

That’s exactly what I want people to think when they see me. I am strong, invincible, confident, intelligent—arrogant. I’m the man who always finds a way around, over and through—until there’s nothing left. Since losing my ability to walk six years ago, I’ve relearned life. I don’t need sympathy. I don’t want charity. And I don’t do love.

It’s better this way, saves my disappointments for me, and me alone, and it saves my strength for everything I want.

But Cass Owens is about to wreck everything. She’s about to steal all of my strength away from me, because she needs it more. She’s about to break all of my rules, and break down all of my walls. She’s about to own me…completely.

And I’m about to let her.

Ever since I read that sneak peek that was included at the end of This Is Falling, I’ve been itching to get my hands on You And Everything After. Ty and Cass’s brief but memorable encounter at Sally's diner had me so excited for more of them. It was just too much to ask to be patient. Theirs appeared to be an unlikely match though it was apparent they were seriously in to each other. This is their story and it’s every bit as wonderful as This Is Falling.

We were already well aware of Ty’s disability and his "no-relationships, no-attachments" philosophy. Cass’s revelation that she suffers from MS was surprising as never let on about it previously. Cass is desperate to break out of the bubble wrap her parents have encased her in because of it. At college, no one knows about her condition, more importantly, they know nothing about her sordid high school past. It’s a chance to start anew though she still has those moments of doubt that can’t be erased so easily. Ty initially sees a sexy and vivacious young woman whose sassiness matches his own wit. Call it kismet or coincidence, he becomes her personal trainer and from there their relationship gets deeper. He believes in her and encourages her to pursue her dream of playing soccer again. Unfortunately, pursuing this dream also means facing old rumors that have resurfaced.

As Cass learns to battle her problems, Ty has to also face his own past - that being his ex-girlfriend Kelly who still has a hold over him. Realizing that Cass is the first girl since Kelly that he has fallen for is unnerving but he’s not stupid. He knows how happy he is with her and wants her to be just as happy. In This Is Falling, Ty comes off as a jerk … a lot. He has those moments here too and he fesses up to them. Only this time, you get to see where it’s coming from and how his jerk demeanor is not only his defense against attachments but also a way to keep others from feeling sorry for him.

One of the joys of reading You and Everything After is seeing the camaraderie between the Preeter brothers again but from Ty’s point of view this time. They have the typical sibling relationship and he clearly loves Nate. It’s amazing how he can be his brother’s biggest supporter of pursing his baseball dream even when his own died after his accident. The other dynamic of interest is that between Cass and her twin sister Paige.  She longs for some independence and space but also for Paige to have her back no matter what. This has been a divide between them since high school. Ty’s belief in her is the very thing she has been missing from her family. She doesn’t need coddling, she needs people in her corner. And that's exactly where Ty is with his firm resilience and no bull attitude.

“Yeah, I heard you. You have MS. I can’t feel my legs. La di f***in’ da. Are we training or what?” His expression hasn’t changed once, and the armor I just started to build up around my heart is already cracking.

Ginger Scott has fast become one of my favourite writers. I simply love how she describes these very personal, life-altering experiences, getting to the heart of matters without making it feel like an afterschool special. These people, with their innermost vulnerable pieces that are slowly put back together, eventually become their own champions by the end. And speaking of the end, Scott's done it again by giving us another sneak peek, this time into Paige's story. So now I get to "patiently" wait for book number 3, The Girl I Was Before. In the meantime, please catch up with the Falling series, the Preeter boys, and these fascinating, strong women who love them!

~ Bel

*** Interview ***

I knew I'd wanted to interview Ginger for a while now but coming up with questions is always hard since there's just so much I'd want to know. Thankfully, Ginger was gracious enough to discuss her work and give us an insight into her writing process.

Let’s start with the inspiration for the Falling series. How did that come about? And did you have an idea that you’d have three books-worth to share?

It all started with an ASU baseball game. I was sitting in the grass, near the bullpen, on the third base side, and the players were stretching. I started watching this college girl in front of me, sitting on a blanket by herself. She was staring at one of the players, and he kept looking at her. It was all just very flirtatious, but there was something so precious about it. It sparked this idea of these two characters, and I pulled out my ticket stub and scribbled it full of notes. I had the character names and basic story outlined and stuffed in my purse by the ceremonial first pitch. I knew it would be three books by the time I got my cast of characters down. Ty's character was so rich, and I needed to explore him more. And then Paige was so different from the other two girls, and that just felt like it needed to be shown as well. When I realized what I had in this series, I got super excited!

Your characters face some heavy issues – autism (How We Deal With Gravity), post-traumatic stress (This Is Falling), MS and disability (You And Everything After).  What was it like getting inside their minds to write their stories?

I like to pull at the threads of things that sometimes slip by unnoticed. Writing the autism story was deeply personal and important to me, and it was a story I had been wanting to pen for quite some time. I have a fairly deep understanding of autism given my experience with it through family and friends as well as my volunteer work with an organization here in Arizona. For me, getting inside the heads of Gravity's characters was both an honor and a risk--something I wanted to get exactly right. 

I drew from my reporting experience a great deal in writing This Is Falling. I've covered scenes similar, eerily similar, to the one that played out in Falling, and in many ways, Falling let me tell a side of that story I don't think gets shown often--the lingering effects and how a tragedy like the one in the book touches so many lives.

Getting inside the minds of Ty and Cass was my biggest challenge yet. I wanted to tell their stories right, honorably and accurately. I was extremely blessed to have guidance

from two close friends affected by MS and paralysis, and I took their advice on every single note they made. I was intimidated by Ty and Cass, and I think that's a good thing. It kept them honest.

How much of your personal experiences factor in to your writing?

I think my personal experience is always woven into the fabric of my stories in some way, though probably with far less drama. I have an ongoing promise with myself to write feelings accurately, even when it might be uncomfortable. I like to make people react as they would in real life, and sometimes, that means admitting how I may react or how someone has treated me at one point in my life. It's all part of falling in love, feeling new feelings, growing up. I think if I didn't tap into my personal experiences I'd be missing out on some of the ingredients for realism.

In You and Everything After, Ty mentions how superstitions and rituals are important in sports. Do you have any rituals or routines that help you write?

I do! I have a lot of go-to music; The National tends to play often. I also have a very nerdy outlining method that would probably look like organized chaos to anyone else (alright, maybe organized isn't an entirely accurate term). I also get in a serious groove when I'm about six or seven chapters from the end, and I will have power nights--all in a row--where I sit in bed, laptop in front of me, husband hiding under covers trying to drown out typing, while I literally am so obsessed with seeing where the story goes that I forgo sleep. I even know how it's going to end! It's all crazy.

Now for a bit of fun… the BiblioJunkies motto is “books, boys, pie”.  So …

What was your favourite book in school?

I have to answer this three ways: Junior High, the book "Forever" by Judy Blume. High School: "Gatsby." And in college: "Friday Night Lights."

Photo: Details.com

If you could cast Nate and Ty Preeter, who would they be? 

It's funny, I tend to agree with a lot of readers on this one, and I like the idea of Liam Hemsworth in both roles. Would that be weird?

Finally, can you attribute a dessert to each of the following characters: Rowe, Nate, Cass, Ty? What’s your favourite dessert?

Rowe is a chocolate chip cookie, sweet and all-american, but in need of milk.

Nate (while also the milk) is a s'mores! Oh my god is he so a s'mores!

Cass is a lemon torte, sweet and sour, and sort of ready to fight.

Ty is fudge. Pushy, decadent, rich, filling, taunting and impossible to resist!

My ultimate dessert is the perfect slice of wedding cake. It's my favorite food in the world. Moist white cake, multiple layers of butter cream, a hint of raspberry or lemon or both, and the width of a tire. And now I want a piece!

Wow! I love that that one tiny observation at the baseball game led to these two phenomenal stories in the Falling series! Thank you Ginger for taking the time to answer my questions. And congratulations once again on You and Everything After! Check the links below to learn more about Ginger and her books.

Connect with Ginger:

Website    I    Facebook    I    Twitter    I    Goodreads

Buy links:

This Is Falling    Amazon    I    Barnes & Noble    I    Kobo       

You and Everything After    Amazon    I    Barnes & Noble    I    Kobo        

How We Deal With Gravity    Amazon   I    Barnes & Noble    I    Kobo