Act Your Age, Eve Brown
“[A] fizzy, intoxicating sense of humor that bubbles off the page.”
— Entertainment Weekly
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“If you love rom-coms, this incredibly charming novel will sweep you off your feet.” — Popsugar
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You’re not supposed to laugh at someone being hit by a car. But I confess, I did. Out loud.
I thought perhaps I was becoming amoral, or even that I had an ailment, like a stroke, but as I read on, I realized that these people are just funny. Hilarious, even. They are also adorably cute and worth rooting for. This is why Talia Hibbert’s Act Your Age, Eve Brown (Avon) is the definition of romantic comedy.
In fact, I was laughing so much, I marked all the places where I laughed out loud. I saw then that everywhere I went with this book, the “laughing stickies” — as I called them — would have to come with me. (If you’re wondering, I marked 23 times. And these were like put-the-book-down laughs, maybe talk at the book, maybe wipe a few tears. Maybe. There were several more times where I laughed in my mind. Smiled a little and moved on.)
Hibbert’s latest entry in the Brown Sisters series focuses on the youngest sister, Eve. She’s a hot mess and since her latest employment venture literally flew away, her parents have cut her off until she can find and keep a job. When she thinks she’s found the answer in the form of a bed-and-breakfast that needs a chef, Eve instead finds uptight and handsome B-n-B owner Jacob.
Each of the books in the Brown Sisters’ series explodes with a distinct personality, and this one is honest fun. The enemies-to-lovers trope here is very in-your-face, unlike Get a Life, Chloe Brown, where the trope was covered with a level of civility and couth. Here, we’re just falling in ponds and running into people with cars and falling in love as we’re doing it.
Not the main characters. Us. Well, the love part.
While I have loved this series since the first book, I was apprehensive about a story totally about Eve. Poor Eve (um, yeah…). What I thought would turn me off the most was her misuse of language — saying “chevalier” instead of “chivalrous” or “Byronic” instead of “heroic.”
But because the point of view is interior to Jacob and Eve, we’re getting as much of the story from their thoughts as their dialogue. In her mind, Eve doesn’t mix up words as much. And each time she does, you’re focused more on how the very OCD Jacob reacts instead of the mishaps in word choice. And when you learn about why she has this quirk of language, you forget about being annoyed, are cheering her on for being brave, and falling in love with this annoyingly cute couple.
Yep, I said it again.
So, don’t question your morals, or embark on some soul-seeking quest when you laugh at a guy getting hit by a car (and trust me, you will laugh). Only question yourself if you don’t fall in love with Eve and Jacob and want more of their story by the end.
My only lingering question: Where do I get Eve’s “Read like your book is burning” T-shirt?
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