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A review by jpaulthunders77
Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert
5.0
I can't stop thinking about this book after almost two weeks. That warrants an extra star, right?
After reading all the books in the series, I could safely—no, scratch that—I can confidently say that Talia Hibbert has become one of my favorite romance authors. I am always happy and satisfied with the result of her finished products. I have read Chloe Brown (average for me), then Dani Brown (what an improvement), and then this (SUPER SPECTACULAR LOAD OF FLUFF, MUSH, AND SUNSHINE).
Enough with too much gushing. Her writing has significantly improved through the years, that's a fact. I'm the type of person who notices patterns in writing style. Well, to be fair and unbiased, I have observed some patterns here and there: descriptions of the scene and body parts that are jarringly similar, same flow and rhythm of sentences that were supposed to grate my sensitive nerves, but shockingly, I was fine with it. The whole time I caught myself occasionally smiling because of the cuteness and the sincerity of the story.
Another thing that I love about this novel is the representation. Talia Hibbert writes genuine people using a careful and thoughtful lens. Eve is not your typical romance heroine. She's black, she's fat, and she's a hot mess. At the age of 26, her life seems to have no stretch of purposeful direction. She has failed college and different jobs, but unfortunately she can't find anything that'll match her choices and her personality. Seems familiar? Hits close to home? YES! I hate to admit that I could see myself in Eve's shoes. Jacob, on the other hand, is a grumpy, semi-hot, semi-not, partially-head turner, autistic bloke, who owns a small B&B cottage in the countryside. What I like about his character is that he's obsessed with perfection, a trait brought about by his anal-retentiveness, which makes him easily misunderstood. He appears to be an asshole of a perfectionist but really he's a big sweet mash potato in the inside once you already know him.
Their personality blends so well. Their differences are glaringly obvious, but it's the subtle similarities of their deeper personalities that make me swoon! In that aspect, I say that the enemies to lovers trope used in this novel really works. Because 1.) they hated each other first (with no secret pining or prominent lusting), 2.) they tried to settle their differences, saw past their flaws and started working together, which led them into this murky pond (YES, POND—watch out for that pond scene) of friendship, and 3.) finally, they realized that they were meant for each other and decided to fall in love and accept one another. Eve didn't fix Jacob's problems, nor Jacob did Eve's; instead they helped each other realize their own mistakes, embrace their own quirks, and make them appreciate who they really were. That their misbeliefs about themselves were so damn repairable and wouldn't stick with them forever.
In short, it's a lovely and refreshing experience!
I must say that the conflict and drama around 80% of the novel is a little bit contrived because it rooted from miscommunication, but I could see why the characters chose to do their respective actions in and prior that scene. As usual, when the grandest declaration of love happened, it seemed like all the hurtful words dissipated, on a whim, into the thick, sugary cloud.
Oh, well. Just like Jacob said, "I truly could not give a fuck." because this book is so cute, and this is exactly all I need to escape momentarily from my shitty, rote of a life.
After reading all the books in the series, I could safely—no, scratch that—I can confidently say that Talia Hibbert has become one of my favorite romance authors. I am always happy and satisfied with the result of her finished products. I have read Chloe Brown (average for me), then Dani Brown (what an improvement), and then this (SUPER SPECTACULAR LOAD OF FLUFF, MUSH, AND SUNSHINE).
Enough with too much gushing. Her writing has significantly improved through the years, that's a fact. I'm the type of person who notices patterns in writing style. Well, to be fair and unbiased, I have observed some patterns here and there: descriptions of the scene and body parts that are jarringly similar, same flow and rhythm of sentences that were supposed to grate my sensitive nerves, but shockingly, I was fine with it. The whole time I caught myself occasionally smiling because of the cuteness and the sincerity of the story.
Another thing that I love about this novel is the representation. Talia Hibbert writes genuine people using a careful and thoughtful lens. Eve is not your typical romance heroine. She's black, she's fat, and she's a hot mess. At the age of 26, her life seems to have no stretch of purposeful direction. She has failed college and different jobs, but unfortunately she can't find anything that'll match her choices and her personality. Seems familiar? Hits close to home? YES! I hate to admit that I could see myself in Eve's shoes. Jacob, on the other hand, is a grumpy, semi-hot, semi-not, partially-head turner, autistic bloke, who owns a small B&B cottage in the countryside. What I like about his character is that he's obsessed with perfection, a trait brought about by his anal-retentiveness, which makes him easily misunderstood. He appears to be an asshole of a perfectionist but really he's a big sweet mash potato in the inside once you already know him.
Their personality blends so well. Their differences are glaringly obvious, but it's the subtle similarities of their deeper personalities that make me swoon! In that aspect, I say that the enemies to lovers trope used in this novel really works. Because 1.) they hated each other first (with no secret pining or prominent lusting), 2.) they tried to settle their differences, saw past their flaws and started working together, which led them into this murky pond (YES, POND—watch out for that pond scene) of friendship, and 3.) finally, they realized that they were meant for each other and decided to fall in love and accept one another. Eve didn't fix Jacob's problems, nor Jacob did Eve's; instead they helped each other realize their own mistakes, embrace their own quirks, and make them appreciate who they really were. That their misbeliefs about themselves were so damn repairable and wouldn't stick with them forever.
In short, it's a lovely and refreshing experience!
I must say that the conflict and drama around 80% of the novel is a little bit contrived because it rooted from miscommunication, but I could see why the characters chose to do their respective actions in and prior that scene. As usual, when the grandest declaration of love happened, it seemed like all the hurtful words dissipated, on a whim, into the thick, sugary cloud.
Oh, well. Just like Jacob said, "I truly could not give a fuck." because this book is so cute, and this is exactly all I need to escape momentarily from my shitty, rote of a life.