A review by anna_wa
Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I've been making my way through the Brown Sisters books in reverse order. I started with Act Your Age Eve Brown and loved it so much that I had to read the others - and when I found out this book starred a bisexual woman who ends up with a man, I couldn't wait to read it. I feel like there are truly not enough books where bisexual women end up with men and they aren't written as "changing sides" or "betraying the LGBT+ community" and I'm glad to find any books that treat bisexual women who end up with men with respect.

It's really hard to define the pacing of this book, because as you can probably guess by the description of the book, they kiss rather soon (for the purposes of their fake relationship) and they also
have sex
rather soon. But as for actually admitting their romantic feelings to themselves and to each other? That takes a very, very long time. So, I guess, it varies reader-by-reader on if you would find this too fast or too slow or just right.

Anyway, I love how this author manages to make her characters into real individuals, with their own problems and their own strengths. They aren't books that are ONLY focused on the eventual romance, but are also books focused on improving the individuals and their views of themselves, which is amazing. Dani has had one too many romantic relationships end in disaster and so she believes the best thing to do is just not have any more of them, and instead focus on finding the perfect "friend with benefits". Zaf is a hopeless romantic who has seen unhappy endings in his own life and wants to avoid that at all costs.
Zaf's father and brother died in a car crash and because of that, because of the pain he watched his sister-in-law go through after losing her true love, he doesn't want that for himself.
So basically they both have lots of baggage to unpack, and they do, and it is treated with respect by the author and the lovers (sorry, fake-lovers-turned-real-lovers).

It's a beautiful novel in so many different ways. Highly recommend. Can't wait to read the Chloe Brown book next; she was my favorite side character in both Eve Brown and Dani Brown's books.

Warnings for anxiety, depression, a panic attack, and grieving over the death of a loved one.
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