Lovely War
Julie Berry, 2019
Penguin Young Readers
480 pp.
ISBN-13: 9780147512970#
Summary
They are Hazel, James, Aubrey, and Colette.
A classical pianist from London…
A British would-be architect turned soldier…
A Harlem-born ragtime genius in the U.S. Army…
A Belgian orphan with a gorgeous voice and a devastating past.
Their story is told by the goddess Aphrodite, who must spin the tale or face judgment on Mount Olympus
It is a tale filled with hope and heartbreak, prejudice and passion, and reveals that, though War is a formidable force, it's no match for the transcendent power of Love. (From the publisher.)
Author Bio
Julie Berry is the author of the 2017 Printz Honor and Los Angeles Times Book Prize shortlisted novel The Passion of Dolssa, the Carnegie and Edgar shortlisted All the Truth That's in Me, and many other acclaimed middle-grade novels and picture books.
She holds a BS from Rensselaer in communication and an MFA from Vermont College. She lives in Southern California with her family. (From the publisher.)
Book Reviews
[A] virtuoso historical fantasy.… When the hurly-burly's done, and the battle's lost and won, does Love conquer War? The answer is never in doubt, but it's a pleasure to have it confirmed by a celestially inspired storyteller.
New York Times Book Review
Leavened by wit and informed by history, Lovely War is a romantic and inventive story from its dramatic start to its laughter- and tear-spangled ending.
Wall Street Journal
The novel you'll want to steal from your teen's night stand.… Though Lovely War is being marketed to teens, adults looking for a memorable, well-told tale should not be shy about delving in, too.
Washington Post
(Starred review) Berry’s evocative novel… gains steam as the stories flesh out. Along the way, it suggests that while war and its devastation cycles through history, the forces of art and love remain steady, eternal, and life-sustaining.
Publishers Weekly
(Starred review) Readers will be swept away by Berry’s lyrical prose.
Library Journal
Berry’s accomplished talent for developing all elements of plot—character, tone, and mood—in addition to her fresh writing style makes this title a compelling page turner.
Library School Journal
(Starred review) Proves again that Berry is one of our most ambitious writers. Happily for us, that ambition so often results in great success.
Booklist
(Starred review) Scheherazade has nothing on Berry…. An unforgettable romance so Olympian in scope, human at its core, and lyrical in its prose that it must be divinely inspired.
Kirkus Reviews
(Starred review) Julie Berry [is] a modern master of historical fiction for young readers…. Berry’s superb research and attention to detail are perfectly suited to the layers of this story of love in wartime…. [A] romantic yet unflinching look at teenagers coming of age during World War I.
BookPage
Discussion Questions
We'll add publisher questions if and when they're available; in the meantime, use our LitLovers talking points to help start a discussion for LOVELY WAR … then take off on your own:
1. Why might Julie Berry have used the device of Olympia to tell her story of love during a time of a devastating war? Why frame her story using mythology? Does the frame work for you? Why or why not?
2. What is your familiarity with Greek mythology, especially the Arphrodite-Ares-Hephestus triangle? If you're familiar with it, how does Berry (shall we say…) "flesh it out"?
3. Talk about the immortals and their incessant bickering, snark, and competition with one another. Which diety did you find funny … sympathetic … wise? Any? None?
4. Which of the mortal couples most pulled at your heart-strings … and why? Or perhaps a fairer question would be how did both couples pull at your heartstrings? Our of the four characters, do you have a favorite?
5. Talk about the manner in which each of the two couples met. What drew them together? Consider, for instance, Hazel and James's dance in London.
6. What does the novel teach about the treatment of black troups during the war? Were you aware of the blatant prejudice African-Americans faced in the military (in World War II, as well)?
7. The horrors of trench warfare in World War I are well-known—through history lessons, oral recollections, books (fiction and nonfiction), and film portrayals. How vividly does Lovely War present those conditions? Have you gained a new perspective, perhaps a more personal one … or neither?
8. The historical war in tbis novel can also be viewed as symbolic—the ongoing battles most of us fight in our personal lives: we have our own demons to overcome, our own weaknesses, to say nothing of societal injustices, and the cruelty and seeming randomness of fate. How do the four mortal characters—Hazel, James, Aubrey, and Colette—face the tragedies and challenges in their lives?
9. The book poses the question that love wins out over war, hope over fear. Do you think so? Is this book realistic? Or is it bascially a diverting, feel-good romance. What's your take?
(Questions by LitLovers. Please feel free to use them, online and off, with attribution. Thanks.)
Cilka's Journey
Heather Morris, 2019
St. Martin's Press
352 pp.
ISBN-13: 9781250265708
Summary
From the author of the multi-million copy bestseller The Tattooist of Auschwitz comes a new novel based on a riveting true story of love and resilience.
Her beauty saved her—and condemned her.
Cilka is just sixteen years old when she is taken to Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp in 1942, where the commandant immediately notices how beautiful she is.
Forcibly separated from the other women prisoners, Cilka learns quickly that power, even unwillingly taken, equals survival.
When the war is over and the camp is liberated, freedom is not granted to Cilka: She is charged as a collaborator for sleeping with the enemy and sent to a Siberian prison camp.
But did she really have a choice? And where do the lines of morality lie for Cilka, who was send to Auschwitz when she was still a child?
In Siberia, Cilka faces challenges both new and horribly familiar, including the unwanted attention of the guards. But when she meets a kind female doctor, Cilka is taken under her wing and begins to tend to the ill in the camp, struggling to care for them under brutal conditions.
Confronting death and terror daily, Cilka discovers a strength she never knew she had. And when she begins to tentatively form bonds and relationships in this harsh, new reality, Cilka finds that despite everything that has happened to her, there is room in her heart for love.
From child to woman, from woman to healer, Cilka's Journey illuminates the resilience of the human spirit—and the will we have to survive. (From the publisher.)
Author Bio
• Birth—N/A
• Where—Te Awamutu, New Zealand
• Education—B.A., Monash University (Australia)
• Currently—lives in Melbourne, Australia
Heather Morris is a native of New Zealand, now resident in Australia. For several years, while working in a large public hospital in Melbourne, she studied and wrote screenplays, one of which was optioned by an Academy Award-winning screenwriter in the US.
In 2003, Heather was introduced to an elderly gentleman who "might just have a story worth telling." The day she met Lale Sokolov changed both their lives. Their friendship grew and Lale embarked on a journey of self-scrutiny, entrusting the innermost details of his life during the Holocaust to her.
Heather originally wrote Lale’s story as a screenplay—which ranked high in international competitions—before reshaping it into her debut novel, The Tattooist of Auschwitz. Morris's second novel, Cilka's Journey, came out in 2019. (From the publisher.)
Book Reviews
[F]ast-paced…, but the brisk speed often papers over a lack of emotional depth and character development. Cilka and those around her respond with a positivity that feels unnatural. Even so, Morris’s propulsive tale shows the goodness that can be found even inside the gulag.
Publishers Weekly
Cilka shows great courage and fortitude throughout: Indeed, her ability to endure trauma—as well her heroism in ministering to the sick and wounded—almost defies credulity.… Though gripping, even moving at times, the novel doesn't do justice to the solemn history from which it is drawn.
Kirkus Reviews
Discussion Questions
1. After reading the author’s note about her conversation with Lale Sokolov, the Tattooist of Auschwitz, did knowing that Cilka’s story is based on areal person change your reading experience? Does the author weave fact and realistic fiction into the story effectively? In what ways?
2. What drew you to this time period and novel? What can humanity still learn from this historical space—from the front lines of an infamous concentration camp to the brutal Russian Gulags? How was this story unique in its voice and characters?
3. Is Cilka’s prison sentence in Vorkuta as punishment for "sleeping with the enemy" in the concentration camp cruel? Was she forced into this role in order to survive as a mere sixteen-year-old girl? How might Cilka’s outward behavior compare to her inner intentions?
4. "What you are doing, Cilka, is the only form of resistance you have—staying alive. You are the bravest person I have ever known, I hope you know that" (Chapter 32). Is Lale right? Is Cilka brave, and were her acts of resistance the best course of action she had? What does Cilka feel guilty about or complicit in? How is she suffering because of it?
5. Could you imagine having the fortitude to survive one death sentence and then another? How do these two hells—the camp and the prison—compare? Were your perceptions challenged or expanded on what life in the Gulag was like after reading this book? In what ways?
6. What strategies does Cilka use to survive? Which ones does she teach the others, including Josie? How could her body be her ticket? What does she sacrifice in giving of her body but not her mind?
7. "Another number. Cilka subconsciously rubs her left arm; hidden under her clothing is her identity from that other place. How many times can one person be reduced, erased?” (Chapter 3) How would you answer Cilka here? What inner fire allows Cilka to live? How does she endure with so much death and suffering around her?
8. Does Cilka assume a protective role for the women in her hut? For her block at the camp? In what ways is Cilka a target for their rage and a focus for their hopes for life beyond the fencing? How does she help the women survive the toughest parts of their sentences (the rapes, work, injuries, separation)?
9. How do the women form a sisterhood or join in solidarity? Do you believe there is something universal about what they do? From snowy rescues to smuggled food—even Elena’s self-inflicted burn in order to get a message to Cilka—how do the women look out for one another? How is this essential for their survival?
10. Why do the women invest their time and scarce energies into"beautifying" the hut with their meager resources? What does this tell us about the human spirit?
11. How does Yelena help and advocate for Cilka? What chances and tests is Cilka given because of Yelena’s attentions? How does Cilka repay her faith and kindness? Also, why do you think Yelena would choose to serve in such a brutal place?
12. She doesn’t dare hope that she has broken her curse. That she could have a role in helping new life come into the world, rather than overseeing death” (Chapter 12). In what ways is Cilka’s time served in the maternity ward a turning point? How does she intervene with her patients and make a difference? How does she put herself at risk?
13. Discuss Josie’s desperation regarding her baby Natia’s fate, and what lies ahead for them both after the two-year mark? How does Cilka ensure her safe transfer? What does Natia’s presence stir up for the others in the hut?
14. How would you describe a mother’s love? How does it manifest in the book?
15. How does Cilka find her calling with her ambulance work? How did she spur others to be their best selves? On the other hand, what sexist abuse did she face while performing such technical and important work?
16. Why does Cilka reject the comfort of the nurses’ quarters at first? In what ways is she seeking forgiveness?
17. How are Cilka and Alexandr joined together? How does she administer to him and what new hope does he offer for her future? What risks? Were you surprised by their reunion on the train platform?
18. The main oppressors in this novel are men—from the commanders and guards to her fellow prisoners—and their sense of menacing entitlement and acts of rape and cruelty shape the novel. Have things changed for women in times of both war and peace when it comes to their bodies and defining their own destinies? What can society do about it?
19. Why does Cilka ultimately tell her hut-mates about her experiences and actions at Auschwitz? How does she know the time is right?
20. Why are women’s voices of wartime so important to unearth and tell? What could be lost when they are unreported or under reported?
(Questions issued by the publisher.)
Piazza Carousel: A Florence Love Story
Jule Selbo, 2017
Dakota, Inc.
317 pp.
ISBN-13: 9780692919255
Summary
Lyn Bennett has arrived in historic Florence, Italy to discover details of her mother’s past as one of the city’s beloved Mud Angels — a group of volunteers who helped save Florence’s art during the 1966 flood.
When Lyn is shocked by a betrayal of those closest to her, she takes a hard look at her expectations of love and fidelity — and how she has made decisions in her life.
New friend, Matteo, a curator in the restoration office of the Uffizi Museum, becomes a conduit to uncovering secrets of her mother’s past. He, along with the city of Florence, with its pride, strength and beauty, inspire her to step past the "should do this" in her life, be true to herself and open her heart. (From the publisher.)
Author Bio
• Birth—N/A
• Where—Fargo, North Dakota, USA
• Education—N/A
• Currently—lives in Portland, Maine
Jule Selbo loves stories in all shapes and forms. She started her career as a playwright in New York City. That led to working in television and film. She has written feature films for Disney, Paramount, Columbia and Universal Pictures. She has also written and produced televisions series for major networks; favorite jobs including working for George Lucas, George Romero, Roland Joffe and Aaron Spelling.
In addition, Selbo has written books on screenwriting and film history including Film Genre for the Screenwriter (2015), Women Screenwriters, An International Guide (with Jill Nelmes, 2016), Screenplay: Building Story Through Character (2007-2015). She was instrumental in building the Masters of Fine Arts in Screenwriting program at California State University, Fullerton, where she is a professor.
Piazza Carousel: A Florence Love Story (2017) is her first fiction novel; it grew out of her time living in — and falling in love with — the wonderful city of Florence, Italy. She now lives in Portland, Maine. (From the author.)
Visit the author's website.
Follow Jule on Twitter.
Book Reviews
…There is a wonderful underlying theme in this book of disaster or hardship being overcome and then rebuilding from the ruins. Whether this is after a natural disaster like the flood, or from an emotional disaster such as a betrayal of a friend or loved one. It’s not an overly emphasised theme which makes it all the more appealing.
The love interest also fits in well with the flow of the story. It never feels forced, as it sometimes does in a story, and the relationship develops naturally with everyday ups and downs adding to its realistic portrayal.
There is very little I could find to criticise in this book, it was a thoroughly enjoyable read. I found reading it was like curling up with a hot chocolate on a rainy day…. Classified as other fiction, it could almost fall into the romance genre, but there is something about it which adds an extra quality. This is a book for a wide audience, especially those who like to travel or want to fall in love with the beauty and history of Florence. A well-deserved congratulations to the author (4 out of 4 stars).
REVDATA - Official Online BookClub.org
Love and betrayal, mud angels, secrets unearthed from the flood waters of Italy — what more could a reader want? Jule Selbo has painted a picture worth seeing in her debut novel, Piazza Carousel — a merry-go-round of romance and intrigue, set to the beautiful backdrop of historic Florence.
Kathy Aspden - author, Baklava, Biscotti and An Irishman
Reading this book is like taking an Italian vacation — intoxicating, fascinating and hard to leave. The author's style is so easy, her skill so apparent and her familiarity with the city so obvious that it's impossible to resist the book's charms. Not every twist comes as a surprise, but the story is rich and satisfying, and the characters are complex and convincing. Altogether a wonderful debut novel (5 out of 5 stars).
DD - Amazon Customer Review
Discussion Questions
1. In 1966, the Arno River in Florence Italy flooded to catastrophic proportions and some of the world’s most well-known art was in danger. The important Uffizi Museum was flooded, many of the great churches and libraries. Volunteers from around the world came to help save what they could — art and books from the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and more. Art is often a reflection of the time period in which it was created and can tell us about day-to-day life, censorship, beliefs, and hopes and dreams. Losing art can be like losing insights into history. What painting or sculptures or other artwork has affected you and/or makes you think of a certain period in history? If we didn’t have these sources of insight, what could we be missing?
2. Friendship is built on trust. Female friendships can be very strong and true. In Piazza Carousel, Lyn believes her relationship with her best girlfriend is solid. But she learns otherwise. When a romantic liaison with a man comes between two women, is friendship relegated to second place? Does romantic love trump all? Does a betrayal of deep friendship sting longer and more deeply that a break up of romantic love?
3. There was competition between the richest people of Florence during the Renaissance to see who could commission the most/largest/best art. Because painting and sculpture and architecture were supported in this way, many artists thrived. What would our culture be like if artists were supported in that way today?
4. In Piazza Carousel, Lyn’s mother, Jenny, was drawn to a fellow Mud Angel in Florence during the aftermath of the 1966 flood. He fell in love with her and wanted her to choose him above the promises and home she had in America. Is it possible to love two people at one time? How does one choose the "life" that will, ultimately, be a better fit? Can "love" be decided rationally? Is it always an emotional decision?
5. Sometimes we lose a person that is close to us and then realize that his or her stories have not been fully told. In Piazza Carousel, Lyn feels the loss of not hearing all her mother’s stories before she passed. How important is it to make the time to hear those stories before they are lost forever?
6. Italian families — parents and grown children — often live together much longer than American families. In the Italian culture, this is expected. In Piazza Carousel, Matteo and Valentina live in the same small apartment building in Florence. In America, many families are spread out, often in different states or areas of the country. What is it about the two variant cultures that make for this difference?
7. In Piazza Carousel, Lyn works with writers who have come to Florence for a seminar. She learns something from each of them and their opinions and comments reflect on her story. What characters in the writing group stand out as ones that affected Lyn’s thinking and her dealing with her feelings concerning the dissolution of the marriage?
8. Piazza Carousel is about Lyn’s struggle to get in touch with what she truly wants to do, not what she thinks she should do. Is that a common problem?
(Questions courtesy of the author.)
The Wife Between Us
Greer Hendricks, Sarah Pekkanen, 2018
St. Martin's Press
352 pp.
ISBN-13: 9781250130921
Summary
When you read this book, you will make many assumptions.
You will assume you are reading about a jealous ex-wife.
You will assume she is obsessed with her replacement—a beautiful, younger woman who is about to marry the man they both love.
You will assume you know the anatomy of this tangled love triangle.
Assume nothing.
Twisted and deliciously chilling, Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen's The Wife Between Us exposes the secret complexities of an enviable marriage—and the dangerous truths we ignore in the name of love.
Read between the lies. (From the publisher.)
Author Bios
Greer Hendricks
• Birth—ca. 1968
• Raised—San Francisco, California, USA
• Education—B.A., Connecticut College; M.A., Columbia University
• Currently—lives in New York City, New York
Greer Hendricks spent over two decades as an editor at Simon & Schuster. Prior to her tenure in publishing, she worked at Allure magazine and obtained her Master's in journalism from Columbia University.
Greer's writing has been published in The New York Times and Publishers Weekly. She lives in Manhattan with her husband and two children. The Wife Between Us is her first novel (From the publisher.)
According to Publishers Weekly, Hendricks worked with Sarah Pekkanen on Pekkanen's 2010 debut novel, The Opposite of Me. The two formed a close friendship and went on to publishd six more of Pekkanen's novels.
When Greer left publishing in 2014, Pekkanen was one of the few who knew of Hendrick's desire to write. Co-authoring a book with Hendricks, Pekkanen believed, would up her own game. So began their collaboration on The Wife Between Us (2018), followed by An Anonymous Girl (2019)
Sarah Pekkanen
• Birth—1967
• Where—New York, New York, USA
• Raised—Bethesda, Maryland
• Education—University of Wisconsin; University of Maryland
• Currently—lives in Chevy Chase, Maryland
Sarah Pekkanen was born in New York City, arriving so quickly that doctors had no time to give her mother painkillers. This was the last time Sarah ever arrived for anything earlier than expected. Her mother still harbors a slight grudge.
Sarah’s family moved to Bethesda, Maryland, where Sarah, along with a co-author, wrote a book entitled "Miscellaneous Tales and Poems." Shockingly, publishers did not leap upon this literary masterpiece. Sarah sent a sternly-worded letter to publishers asking them to respond to her manuscript. Sarah no longer favors Raggedy Ann stationery, although she is sure it impressed top New York publishers.
Sarah’s parents were hauled into her elementary school to see first-hand the shocking condition of her desk. Sarah’s parents stared, open-mouthed, at the crumpled pieces of paper, broken pencils, and old notebooks crowding Sarah’s desk. Sarah’s organization skills have since improved. Slightly.
After college, Sarah began work as a journalist, covering Capitol Hill. Unfortunately, Sarah could not understand the thick drawls of the U.S. Senators from Alabama, resulting in many unintentional misquotes. Sarah was groped by one octogenarian politician, sumo-bumped off a subway car by Ted Kennedy, and unsuccessfully sued by the chief of staff to a corrupt U.S. Congresswoman. Sarah also worked briefly as an on-air correspondent for e! Entertainment Network, until the e! producers realized that Capitol Hill wasn’t, by any stretch of the imagination, what one might call sexy.
Sarah married Glenn Reynolds, completing her rebellion against her father, who told her never to become a writer or marry a lawyer.
Sarah took a job at Gannett New Service/USAToday, covering Capitol Hill. Sarah was assigned to cover the White House Correspondents Dinner and rode in the Presidential motorcade to the dinner. Sarah convinced a White House aide to let her stick her head out of the limousine moon-roof during the ride and wave to onlookers. Later, her triumph was tempered by the fact that bouncers would not allow her into the Vanity Fair after-party. Sarah attempted entry three times in case the bouncers were just kidding.
Sarah took a job writing features for the Baltimore Sun, and interviewed the actor who played Greg Brady. She refrained from asking if he really made out with Marcia, but just barely.
Sarah and Glenn’s son Jackson was born. He arrived too quickly for Sarah to receive painkillers, and Sarah was pretty sure she saw her mother smirking. When Glenn put a loving hand on Sarah’s shoulder during the throes of labor, Sarah decided the most expedient way to get Glenn to remove his hand was to bite it, hard. She was proved right.
Twenty months later, Sarah and Glenn’s son Will was born. Three weeks later, Sarah and Glenn moved into a new home and renovated the kitchen. Two weeks later, Glenn caught pneumonia and simultaneously started a new job. Ten days after the kitchen renovation was complete, the kitchen caught on fire, and Sarah, Glenn and family moved to a hotel while renovation began anew. Sarah and Glenn decided to work on their "timing" issues.
Having left her journalism job to chase around the ever-active Jack and Will, Sarah started writing a column for Bethesda Magazine and began work on a novel. She did not write it on Raggedy Ann stationery.
Her first book, The Opposite of Me, came out in 2010 and her second, Skiping, a Beat in 2011. Those were followed by These Girls in 2012, The Best of Me in 2013, and Catching Air in 2014.
Sarah gave birth to a bouncing baby boy, Dylan, and gets a little weepy every time she contemplates her good luck. (Adapted from the author's website.)
Book Reviews
The Wife Between Us bests The Woman in the Window in the didn’t-see-it-coming plot twist category.
USA Today
Buckle up, because you won't be able to put this one down.
Glamour
(Starred review.) [A] jaw-dropping psychological thriller. This is not another eye-rolling story about the jealous ex-wife stalking her replacement.… Unforgettable twists lead to shocking revelations all the way through the epilogue.
Publishers Weekly
(Starred review.) Readers who were enthralled by B.A. Paris’s Behind Closed Doors and Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl will love the skewed psychology and shifting perspectives of this domestic thriller.
Library Journal
(Starred review.) [A] seamless thriller that will keep readers on their toes to the very end.… Readers will enjoy the dizzying back-and-forth as they attempt to figure out just who to root for and as the suspense ratchets up to one hell of a conclusion.
Booklist
The use of a multiviewpoint …narrative to …purposely misleading the reader is a really, really popular device. Two words: Gone Girl.… [T]he fun is in trying to figure it out before they tell you.… A good airport book.
Kirkus Reviews
Discussion Questions
1. On page 7, Samantha asks Nellie one of the defining questions of the novel: "Ever think he’s too good to be true?" At what point did you start to think that Sam might be right, and Richard might actually be too good to be true?
2. What do you think is the significance of Vanessa’s new job at an upscale clothing store? How might it affect her to still be in the upper class world she once occupied, but in a much different role? Compare and contrast her experience there to her previous job as a teacher.
3. Throughout the novel, Aunt Charlotte and Vanessa have an extremely close relationship, even when Vanessa struggles to be honest with her aunt. How do you see this relationship affecting the choices Vanessa makes? Is there someone in your family with whom you have a similar bond?
4. When did you realize who Vanessa, Nellie, and Emma actually are? How did this new understanding shape your experience of the rest of the story, and how do you think it will affect your experience if you reread the novel?
5. On page 162, Vanessa says, "I guess I thought marrying Richard would erase my concerns. But my old anxieties simply yielded to new ones." Do you think that that is a common misconception about entering into a marriage? If so, why do you think so many men and women believe this?
6. The Wife Between Us asks difficult questions about how much someone’s past can explain or excuse their behavior. What’s your opinion? Did getting to know more about Vanessa’s or Richard’s backstory help to explain or justify their choices at all?
7. The theme of sight—foresight, hindsight, and even real, physical eyesight—is wound throughout the entire novel. Maggie, the young sorority pledge, repeatedly says, "I hate it when I can’t see." Do you think that anyone in this novel could (or should) have been able to see more clearly the consequences of their actions? Do you believe in the old saying, "Hindsight is 20/20?"
8. Did the end of the novel leave you questioning who was really calling the shots and who had a full picture of what was going on? Which character do you think was truly orchestrating the events that were set into action—or was there more than one person responsible? Why do you believe this?
(Questions from the author's website.)
Get a Life, Chloe Brown
Talia Hibbert, 2019
HarperCollins
384 pp.
ISBN-13: 9780062941206
Summary
A witty, hilarious romantic comedy about a woman who’s tired of being “boring” and recruits her mysterious, sexy neighbor to help her experience new things—perfect for fans of Sally Thorne, Jasmine Guillory, and Helen Hoang!
Chloe Brown is a chronically ill computer geek with a goal, a plan, and a list.
After almost—but not quite—dying, she’s come up with seven directives to help her “Get a Life”, and she’s already completed the first: finally moving out of her glamorous family’s mansion. The next items?
Enjoy a drunken night out.
Ride a motorcycle.
Go camping.
Have meaningless but thoroughly enjoyable sex.
Travel the world with nothing but hand luggage.
And… do something bad.
But it’s not easy being bad, even when you’ve written step-by-step guidelines on how to do it correctly. What Chloe needs is a teacher, and she knows just the man for the job.
Redford "Red" Morgan is a handyman with tattoos, a motorcycle, and more sex appeal than ten-thousand Hollywood heartthrobs. He’s also an artist who paints at night and hides his work in the light of day, which Chloe knows because she spies on him occasionally. Just the teeniest, tiniest bit.
But when she enlists Red in her mission to rebel, she learns things about him that no spy session could teach her. Like why he clearly resents Chloe’s wealthy background. And why he never shows his art to anyone. And what really lies beneath his rough exterior. (From the publisher.)
Author Bio
USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestseller Talia Hibbert is a Black British 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.
Hibbert 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. (From the publisher.)
Book Reviews
Hibbert shows how standard romance tropes—misunderstandings, meddling sisters, a steamy camping trip—can be elevated to sublime pleasure in the hands of a brilliant writer. Everything about Chloe and Red's story feels honest, specific and real. And magical, even when real-life concerns like chronic illness can never fade away. This is an extraordinary book, full of love, generosity, kindness and sharp humor.
New York Times Book Review
Hibbert’s characters are not perfect.… They are realistically flawed —and hilarious and sexy, their bedroom high jinks scorching enough to make readers dissolve "like sugar in hot tea…." Hibbert joins important voices in contemporary romance (Helen Hoang comes to mind) who write steamy page-turners where the characters look nothing like they did a generation ago—and that’s a wonderful thing. Go ahead and push pause on your own life to get to know Chloe Brown.
Washington Post
[A] tour-de-force romance that tackles tough problems like insecurity and chronic pain while still delivering a laugh-out-loud love story full of poignant revelations about human nature…. Hibbert bills herself as an author of sexy, diverse romance—and she comes through in Get a Life, Chloe Brown, giving us passion, humor and some scorching love scenes…. what gives this story its depth is Hibbert's voice—you live each character's pain, joy, laughter, love, longing. And when Red Morgan and Chloe Brown get into your head—good grief—there's nothing like it.
NPR
(Starred review) [A] thrilling, life-altering adventure that will keep readers riveted.… Chloe is a fantastic heroine with a refreshing voice…endearing to Red [and] the reader.… Best of all, the romance is sizzling hot. This contemporary is a page-turning winner.
Publishers Weekly
(Starred review) Will readers giggle at the cuteness of the banter and weep at the emotional truths… as Chloe realizes it’s not her list that matters, and Red realizes Chloe is helping him get a life, too? Absolutely…. Is this book what the word "charming" was invented for? Probably.
Booklist
(Starred review) The plot sounds heavy, and Hibbert certainly writes authentic moments of physical and emotional pain, but this is an incredibly funny, romantic, and uplifting book.… Hilarious, heartfelt, and hot. Hibbert is a major talent.
Kirkus Reviews
Discussion Questions
We'll add publisher questions if and when they're available; in the meantime, use our LitLovers talking points to help start a discussion for GET A LIFE, CHLOE BROWN… then take off on your own:
1. Talk about Chloe's life before she had her near death experience. Then consider her list: what do you think of it? Why does she make it?
2. Have you ever had a list similar to Chloe's, if not so concrete as hers, then at least some vaguely unformed ideas of what your life could be… but isn't? We also call the lists "bucket lists," which many of us have. What's yours?
3. Is Red hot?
4. What are Red's issues in life? Why is he such a hunk, yet so vulnerable?
5. What keeps Chloe and Red apart at first; then, when they finally meet face-to-face while rescuing a cat, what draws them together? How do their opinions of one another change once they get to know one another and pend more time together?
6. How has Chloe's fibromyalgia affected her life? Do you know anyone, or perhaps yourself, who has fibromyalgia? What challenges does the disease impose on those inflicted with it? Consider, especially the lack of knowledge, and sometimes the complete dismissal, on the part of medical professionals.
7. What do you think of all the friends and lovers (e.g., Henry) who deserted Chloe? Given the lack of a specific diagnosis, and the diseases, had you been her friend, would you have stuck by her? Might you have considered her a tiresome hypochondriac or attention seeker? (Be honest, now.)
8. Laugh much? At what parts?
(Questions by LitLovers. Please feel free to use them, online and off, with attribution. Thanks.)