Get a Life, Chloe Brown (Hibbert)

Get a Life, Chloe Brown 
Talia Hibbert, 2019
HarperCollins
384 pp.
ISBN-13: 9780062941206 


Summary
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. (From the publisher.)

Author Bio
USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestseller Talia Hibbert is a Black British author who lives in a bedroom full of books. Supposedly, there is a world beyond that room, but she has yet to drum up enough interest to investigate.

Hibbert writes sexy, diverse romance because she believes that people of marginalised identities need honest and positive representation. Her interests include beauty, junk food, and unnecessary sarcasm. (From the publisher.)

Book Reviews
Hibbert shows how standard romance tropes—misunderstandings, meddling sisters, a steamy camping trip—can be elevated to sublime pleasure in the hands of a brilliant writer. Everything about Chloe and Red's story feels honest, specific and real. And magical, even when real-life concerns like chronic illness can never fade away. This is an extraordinary book, full of love, generosity, kindness and sharp humor.
New York Times Book Review


Hibbert’s characters are not perfect.… They are realistically flawed —and hilarious and sexy, their bedroom high jinks scorching enough to make readers dissolve "like sugar in hot tea…." Hibbert joins important voices in contemporary romance (Helen Hoang comes to mind) who write steamy page-turners where the characters look nothing like they did a generation ago—and that’s a wonderful thing. Go ahead and push pause on your own life to get to know Chloe Brown.
Washington Post


[A] tour-de-force romance that tackles tough problems like insecurity and chronic pain while still delivering a laugh-out-loud love story full of poignant revelations about human nature…. Hibbert bills herself as an author of sexy, diverse romance—and she comes through in Get a Life, Chloe Brown, giving us passion, humor and some scorching love scenes…. what gives this story its depth is Hibbert's voice—you live each character's pain, joy, laughter, love, longing. And when Red Morgan and Chloe Brown get into your head—good grief—there's nothing like it.
NPR


(Starred review) [A] thrilling, life-altering adventure that will keep readers riveted.… Chloe is a fantastic heroine with a refreshing voice…endearing to Red [and] the reader.… Best of all, the romance is sizzling hot. This contemporary is a page-turning winner.
Publishers Weekly


(Starred review) Will readers giggle at the cuteness of the banter and weep at the emotional truths… as Chloe realizes it’s not her list that matters, and Red realizes Chloe is helping him get a life, too? Absolutely…. Is this book what the word "charming" was invented for? Probably.
Booklist


(Starred review) The plot sounds heavy, and Hibbert certainly writes authentic moments of physical and emotional pain, but this is an incredibly funny, romantic, and uplifting book.… Hilarious, heartfelt, and hot. Hibbert is a major talent.
Kirkus Reviews

Discussion Questions
We'll add publisher questions if and when they're available; in the meantime, use our LitLovers talking points to help start a discussion for GET A LIFE, CHLOE BROWN… then take off on your own:

1. Talk about Chloe's life before she had her near death experience. Then consider her list: what do you think of it? Why does she make it?

2. Have you ever had a list similar to Chloe's, if not so concrete as hers, then at least some vaguely unformed ideas of what your life could be… but isn't? We also call the lists "bucket lists," which many of us have. What's yours?

3. Is Red hot?

4. What are Red's issues in life? Why is he such a hunk, yet so vulnerable?

5. What keeps Chloe and Red apart at first; then, when they finally meet face-to-face while rescuing a cat, what draws them together?  How do their opinions of one another change once they get to know one another and pend more time together?

6. How has Chloe's fibromyalgia affected her life? Do you know anyone, or perhaps yourself, who has fibromyalgia? What challenges does the disease impose on those inflicted with it? Consider, especially the lack of knowledge, and sometimes the complete dismissal, on the part of medical professionals.

7. What do you think of all the friends and lovers (e.g., Henry) who deserted Chloe? Given the lack of a specific diagnosis, and the diseases, had you been her friend, would you have stuck by her? Might you have considered her a tiresome hypochondriac or attention seeker? (Be honest, now.)

8. Laugh much? At what parts?

(Questions by LitLovers. Please feel free to use them, online and off, with attribution. Thanks.)

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