Review: Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert (audio)
social media ignites love, a modern love story
Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert, narrated by Ione Butler, is one of those modern romances with a tried-and-true trope — let’s enter a fake relationship to help one of the partners out and it suddenly turns to love.
This is the second book in this series; you can see my review of the first book, Get a Life, Chloe Brown.
In this second book, we are given a glimpse into the life of Chloe Brown’s sister, Danika, who is a career-focused PhD student who has no time for relationships or love. She does have friend-with-benefits relationships, with no strings, and that has worked for her so far. That’s until she asks the universe for the perfect friend-with-benefits partner and all signs point to her friend security guard and former rugby player Zafir Ansari.
After a drill leads Zaf to carry Dani out of an elevator and a building, even as there is no threat, they end up as a social media sensation with their own hashtag #DrRugbae. This begins their fake love story in public as he strives to gain publicity for his children’s charity, Tackle It.
Hibbert again takes a look at characters who need to learn to move past trauma and become well enough for themselves and their partner. I love that Zaf is still a man dealing with his own trauma even as he helps kids with their mental blocks and helps Dani with her own. Dani, however, is a little bit behind him in terms of healing, and that’s what makes the reader wonder how long this fake/real relationship can last.
The story does have some graphic sex scenes, and that’s my spoiler for you as well as a caution for those who do not want or need such description.
Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert is a romp in the stacks for this PhD student and her Romeo, Zaf, is a solid romance with deeper characterization than most in this genre. I enjoyed the dance between these characters and it took my mind off some harder things in my life.
RATING: Tercet
About the Author:
Talia Hibbert is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling 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.
She 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. She also rambles intermittently about the romance genre online.
Talia self-publishes via Nixon House and is represented by Courtney Miller-Callihan at Handspun Literary.