Reading With Kaye
Hi, and welcome back to my column series called Reading with Kaye, where I talk about the books I love while helping you diversify your bookshelf, one recommendation at a time.
I wanted to take the time and say thank you for all the kind words about the last article. I’m so glad you’re all enjoying this as much as I’m enjoying writing it!
This one is for all my hopeless romantics, me being the first in line.
In the last year, an author I was introduced to is British romance novelist Talia Hibbert. She is known for writing contemporary romance and has diverse narratives. Her characters vary in race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, life experience and body shape. The series I read by her that easily became one of my favourites starts with Get a Life, Chloe Brown, followed by Take a Hint, Dani Brown, and ends with Act your Age, Eve Brown.
Chloe Brown, the eldest Brown sister, is a chronically ill computer nerd with a goal, a plan, and a list. After a near (sort of, kind of) death experience, she decides to come up with a list that will help her “get a life”, which includes moving out, riding a motorcycle, a drunken night out, going camping, having meaningless sex, travel the world with nothing but hand luggage, and do something bad. She needs to find someone to help her accomplish her very well-written, step-by-step list, and Redford’ Red’ Morgan proves to be the man for the job. A handyman by day and painter by night (which Chloe only knows because she spies on him…occasionally). With Red beside her to help, the two are able to learn from one another, Chloe, things about her life and herself and how to conquer her fears, and Red, why he never shows his art to anyone and what lies beneath his rough exterior.
A delightful story about a woman navigating life and love who also happens to have a chronic illness. I found it educational on what the everyday life of someone who may live with fibromyalgia and chronic pain would look like, and it was portrayed with sensitivity and respect. My personal favourite category of male characters is those with hard exteriors but super super soft interiors. Red was always considerate of Chloe’s needs, making intentional efforts without her having to ask, attentive, and could not get enough of her. My favourite genre of men, yes.
The story follows middle sister Danika Brown, a Ph.D. student, your typical go-getter, who aspires to achieve professional success and academic renown status. Still, romance is not on her list of what she wants. In fact, she deems relationships as nothing but a distraction. However, she does want the perfect friend with benefits. On the other hand, we have Zafir Ansari, the brooding security guard, who Dani seems to think would make for the perfect candidate. After a video of him saving Dani from a workplace fire drill gone wrong goes viral, the internet begins to ship the two, and Zafir needs Dani to go along with it, as he needs the publicity for his sports charity for kids. Should be smooth sailing…right?
This was my favourite book of the series. Hi, my name is Keren, and I fall for the fake-dating trope EVERY SINGLE TIME. It never fails, nor does it ever disappoint me. This is simply my truth, and I am not ashamed to admit it. Dani’s character resonated with me because she was an established woman who wasn’t forced to be “strong” in any sense; she just simply existed and thrived in her field. And Hibbert continues with the theme of strong and hard exteriors and very soft and gooey interiors in her male characters. Zafir has easily made the top 5 of my favourite men list, both real-life and fictional.
I will throw this book down anybody who asks me for book recommendations’ throat until further notice.
Eve Brown is a hot mess, to say the least. No matter how hard she tries, she always manages to do something so so wrong. And after her personal brand of chaos ruins a very expensive wedding, her parents say enough is enough; it’s time for her to act her age and prove herself. How? She’s not quite sure, but she’ll let us know. Jacob Wayne is the complete opposite. In control, always. A Bed and Breakfast owner expects perfection, always. So, when purple-haired Eve comes in to interview for the chef position, he doesn’t think there’s a shot for her in his perfectly designed world…until she hits him with his car and no longer has a choice.
But turns out she’s the perfect addition to his understaffed B&B, and before long, these two enemies spend more time together, and animosity begins to turn into something…else.
A lovely way to end a lovely series.
Watching (well, reading) Eve eventually grow into her own, on her own terms, was inspiring. This book was a good reminder that no matter how much you feel as though life isn’t going to work out for you, it always does. Life has a funny way of always working out in your favour.
One thing I loved about reading this series was that it gives you black women being loved in all its wonderful glory, with no reservations. In a lot of the media I consumed, especially in my younger years, and that we consume even today, black women tended to be the side character, never the one with the elaborate love story, with the happy ending. It was nice to have this series, where black women are fully loved without any suffering. Hibbert also includes topics such as chronic illness, anxiety, and autism with grace, respect, and a realistic approach, which is very admirable and educational.