Get a Life, Chloe Brown

"I realized when I was putting the list together that there are a couple set in the UK. I think it’s partly because for me, as an American, getting to hear these accents adds a lot to the story. Also, these are just really excellent writers and narrators. They make the story so much fun to listen to. This audiobook, Get a Life, Chloe Brown is the first in a series. It was the first book by Talia Hibbert that I read. She’s excellent. I’ve really enjoyed reading her books in print and in audio. She’s such a funny writer. This is the one that I have gifted to friends most often. It’s about Chloe Brown, who’s had a brush with death: she witnessed a car accident and was almost involved. And she realizes how dull her eulogy would be, if anyone were talking about her life. So she decides, ‘That’s it! I’m going to change my life. I’m going to do things up’ and she makes a list of all the ways she’s going to change things. That’s also funny, her list-making self systematically deciding to be different. So she has a plan to make herself bolder, but also realizes that she needs help with that plan. She has chronic pain and fibromyalgia, which the author does as well. Being organized can help her cope when she’s in too much pain or has pushed herself too far. That’s not something that’s fixed over the course of the audiobook at all, but she’s figuring out new ways to cope with it while having more adventures. And she winds up getting help from her super, Red. Initially, they butt heads, but he helps her when she’s rescuing a kitten out of a tree. He’s this bad boy who rides a motorcycle and she decides he’s the perfect person to help her go out on the town. In exchange, she’s developing him a website. The two of them have such good banter and Chloe has this perfect wit, really dry, that comes across really well. And in the audiobook Adjoa Andoh is just so funny. She’s so perfect with the timing of everything and the pacing, and all the different voices. She has been getting a lot of buzz lately for her role as Lady Danbury in the Netflix show, Bridgerton, which people have been excited about. It’s so fun hearing her narrate this audiobook. Especially if you’re somebody new to romance, this is a great one to jump in with. They do, but I think all of these ones are probably on a fairly similar level of steaminess. There’s a camping trip they get to go on that’s a lot of fun and which is a big deal for her. Since she deals with chronic pain, the idea of going camping is an ordeal and Red goes all out making sure she’s super comfortable and making it a special experience. It’s really sweet."