Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert is a wonderful book to wrap up her series about the Brown Sisters! I think I liked Dani's story the best, but this one still shines in so many wonderful ways!

Eve is your typical hot mess of a socialite, not able to commit to any career, and has a hard time making true friends and keeping a worthwhile relationship. Jacob is the perfect grumpy, controlling heartthrob who just needs a new chef for his B&B.

I love that those are their initial character assessments, but as we read and get to know each, our understanding for them and the life they lead is SO different from outside, cursory judgements. I love how their seemingly opposite tendencies actually highlight some things they have in common.

And I really enjoy a sunshine/grump enemies to lovers story! The steam is HOT in this one, so come prepared for some blushing while you read about two people trying to communicate what they truly want and need. What a funny, vulnerable, heartwarming story with some serious chemistry! The plot is pretty simple and cute, but it's just the calm backbone to a really strong character-driven romance.

Thanks to Avon and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

Act Your Age, Eve Brown is a hilarious contemporary romance featuring a grumpy hero and a hot mess of a heroine. Their personalities are so different and like oil and water but as the story goes on we see how opposites really do attract. I love reading Talia Hibbert and this is my favorite so far in 'The Brown Sisters series'.

Eve Brown is a hot mess. She hasn't found her true passion and her parents want to see her stick to something. Eve doesn't want to let anyone down so she applies to be the chef at a bed and breakfast. I love that she is so upfront and says what's on her mind. Her interview doesn't go well especially after she runs over the man who could be her boss, Jacob Wayne. Jacob is always in charge. He likes to be prepared for anything. When Eve walks into his office for an interview, he knows he does not want her to be his chef. But things change when he ends up with broken bones and a cast. So, looks like Eve did in fact get the job!!

I like that these two characters are so opposite. That just adds to their chemistry and attraction. Together they provide the most hilarious scenes that you can't help but laugh at. You would never expect these two to be attracted to one another, but as time goes on readers won't be able to deny the sparks.

I give Act Your Age, Eve Brown 5 stars. I always love that Talia Hibbert represents people of color because it is so amazing to read a story that you can picture the character looking like you or someone close to you. This is a must-read for those who love opposites attract books. The chemistry will be unexpected, the humor will have you rolling on the floor laughing, and the growth of the characters will give you hope that you too can and will find your passion in life.

When I read the first book in the Brown Sister's trilogy I didn't think I could love any of them more than I did the first sister, Chloe. But Eve came into my world and said hold my beer! Eve was such a great character and I loved her journey of self discovery so much. When the book starts out Eve is dealing with another job failure and her parents telling her she needs to grow up and get her act together. Leaving in fit of pique Eve drives to a small B&B in a village and tries to get a job as a chef. On first meeting Eve, Jacob is taken aback by Eve's personality. Jacob who is on the Autism spectrum likes his world in a tidy orderly way and Eve does not fit that. After a minor accident puts Jacob out of commission, Eve is hired to cook and help clean the B&B. By the end of the book both characters have come such a long way and their journey was so much fun to read! I highly recommend this book if you are wanting a sweet and steamy romance. Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager for my gifted copy for review.

Eve Brown is going nowhere. After a disastrous attempt at planning a wedding for a bridezilla (where it actually went fairly well save for the bridezilla and Eve's freeing of very expensive, very starved doves), Eve is ready for a new start. Take fourteen or fifteen. When her parents cut her off until she finds a job she can hold for more than a year, Eve leaves the house...and stumbles into an interview at a B&B for a chef's position. The owner is churlish but hot, and the interview goes poorly, until Eve accidentally runs him over in her car. Filled with guilt, Eve agrees to help out, but her feelings for Jacob are literal fire. Can a free spirit and an over-bearing control freak make it work?
"Are you sure you didn't come here to kill me?" he asked.
"Quite sure."
"But you're so good at it. You half murder me on a regular basis completely by accident."


This. Was. Absolutely. Delightful.

The banter, the chemistry, the oddball sense of humor—everything was spot on.

I utterly adored Eve—from her sex-positive view of the world (she's been eagerly awaiting a Captain America fanfic update featuring titty fucking since 2017) to her general positivity. Despite growing up in wealthy, she's had to face harsh reality ever since she was brutally cut down from her dreams of being a professional singer by teachers and classmates who told her she didn't have the right look, due to her race and body shape. After that, she never really tried at anything and took any small misstep as a sign of failure and that it was time to move on and try (and fail) at something else.
Then there were the people who acted like it shouldn't hurt, being rejected by the status quo like that. As if, because it came from a twisted place of inequality, it shouldn't have any hold on her. Which was a nice idea on principle, but Eve round it mostly came from those who'd never been personally crushed by the weight of all that disapproval.

I...completely understand this position of never wanting to try too hard in order to get your dreams dashed (after having your true passion crushed to a pulp), and leaving at the first failure point. Resilience is hard, particularly when your support structure is outwardly great but inwardly not great, and when you've been cut down so many times. Learning to recover from failure and continue through friction is hard, and it's harder still to develop conflict resolution skills.

It's even harder when you are in an environment filled with people with the right traits, who have only experienced failure through others and who blithely look down at those who "failed" (mainly due to not having the right traits, which tend to be out of that person's control) and say, "Well, someone has to be last—don't beat yourself up about it just try harder." Add that to Eve's past trauma of dealing with micro-aggressions and outright racism, and it's understandable of her ability to cut and run.

Why should she potentially put herself into another situation like the first ever again? Why should the onus to change the situation be on her, instead of the perpetuators of the system? Being the squeaky wheel is hard, dammit, and emotionally and physically draining.

However, I did like how it was shown that she was a people-pleaser, always seeking outside validation from her friends and support networks while never letting herself get too close because they would always cut her off. She allowed herself to be used by her friends (to outrageously presumptive degrees) so she could stay in the inner circle, and picked up new and different skills to stay friends with them (I hate all her old friends btw, those posh asses). Eve had an innate sense of knowing what people really wanted and how to get them those things, and that kind of initiative and attentiveness is something that should be treasured and not taken advantage of, because it is a really rare trait.
But there were social scripts to be observed beyond fondness > physical contact > emotional commitment, and even if those scripts had never felt natural to Jacob, he'd learned them well enough to copy.

Enter Jacob.

He is autistic, and has learned to navigate the world by learning the scripts and expectations of the absolutely baffling neurotypical society (truly, it is baffling—where do people learn how much eye contact is right and how much becomes too creepy or whatever?). His exacting perfectionism and dedication to routine worked really well in the luxury hotel business, but he's struggling to fully realize his dream as a B&B owner because he is not the warm, welcoming and cuddly type.

He needs someone to balance him out, although Eve is the furthest person from his mind.

However, despite Eve's flighty nature, Jacob realizes she's really, really good at the job. Unprompted, she read all his manuals (with hilarious titles), memorized them, and followed them to a T in order to ensure perfection and a successful business.
Jacob couldn't abide tears in the kitchen. He didn't need rogue DNA in his guest's eggs.

While their relationship got off to a very rough start (I mean, running over someone would do that), I absolutely adored their banter and their chemistry. The way Jacob and Eve navigated their power differentials of employee vs supervisor, and how Eve brushed off Jacob's brusque nature (she realized he was really soft under his layers of armor—as his best friend Mont had told her), although the way Jacob agonized over fucking his employee annoyed the hell out of me.

Like—kids. Just talk it over, okay!

Yet these are two people who have never really been taught communication or conflict resolution skills. Jacob grew up with two neglectful parents, who were more interested in how their autistic child cramped their carefree traveling lifestyle than providing him with routine or structure or love. He found his family with his aunt and cousin, but the wounds cut deep. And Eve grew up the youngest sister in a wealth family, with two high-powered, successful parents who loved her but didn't understand her, and two driven, single-mindedly focused sisters.

Anywho, it's a romance, so they do overcome their differences, complete with a traffic jam, motorcycle, and annoyed drivers.

And it was absolutely lovely.

Oh, and there is a lot of food too! And genital cakes! And The Great Dildo Incident! And more food!

The best part of the ending to this trilogy (and I love, love, love reading Eve and Jacob's POV) was the hint of a spin-off series with the Mont(rose?) siblings. I would die to get that, because they were fantastic!

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review

Thank you to Hear Our Voices Tours, Netgalley, and Avon Books for the arc of this book!

Eve Brown feels like she is constantly a disappointment to those around her--not as smart or driven as her sisters, she can't choose a career, and she still lives at home. When her parents have a fight with her about committing to a job, Eve drives away to clear her head--and falls into a perfect opportunity to prove she can be mature on her own.

Meanwhile, Jacob is in desperate need of a new chef at his B & B, but he's very particular about who can do it, when Eve crashes (literally) into his life.

This book! This. Book! I don't think it could have been more adorable. I really don't think it would be possible. Talia Hibbert has truly blown me away with all three books in the Brown Sisters romance trilogy!

This book shows that no matter how many times the world tries to shove you down for being "not normal," you can get back up and find your person, your place, your time. You don't have to have everything figured out when you're young (a reminder that I seem to be needing more and more as I start to admit that I'm actually an adult now) and you don't have to be society's version of perfect to be the perfect you.

This book gives me heart eyes.

The writing is phenomenal, sexy, funny, relatable. The characters are so well-developed and easy to love. The plot is cute and meaningful. It was everything I needed.

This book comes out on March 9, 2021.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Ableism, Car accident, and Child abuse

Minor: Fatphobia and Racism

Act Your Age, Eve Brown was absolutely wonderful! It was hilariously snarky, heartfelt, emotional, and so, so sexy! The enemies to lovers vibe was done so well and I loved how Eve and Jacob went toe to toe and gave as good as they got. They were so adorably and unapologetically themselves with each other and saw through all the bluster and barbs to see the vulnerable human underneath. I laughed so hard while reading and listening to this one and didn't want to ever put it down. The narration by Ione Butler was incredible again and her comedic timing was perfection. She delivered all the snark with ease and oh my did she nail those sexy times. *fans self*

I am always a fan of the no nonsense starchy hero (thank you to my good friend Jessica for that perfect term) who is an absolute cinnamon roll underneath. Jacob and Eve were the quintessential grump + sunshine, but also so much more. My heart hurt for them as they revealed their pasts and fears and it made complete sense why they made the decisions that they did. The ending left me smiling ear to ear, but also a little sad that it was over. I have thoroughly enjoyed all the books in The Brown Sisters series and loved seeing Chloe, Red, Dani, and Zaf again. Special shoutout to Gigi for being the absolute best and stealing the show every time she was on the page.

I'm hopeful that this won't be the last time we see them. I loved Alex, Tessa, and Eric (Mont) so much and would love to see a series for the Montrose siblings in the future. Talia Hibbert is fast becoming one of my favorite authors and I can't recommend this book (and series) enough!

Audiobook Review
Overall 5 stars
Performance 5+ stars
Story 5 stars

CW: childhood neglect and anti autistic ableism

*I voluntarily read and listened to an advance review copy of this book*

Act Your Age, Eve Brown was not my favorite of Talia’s books. This book was a lot more character based than Talia usually writes. I felt like nothing happened other than a whole lot of talking and thinking about feelings. I still like romance books to have a plot, and I didn’t feel like this one had a great plot.

I still love Talia Hibbert so much and will read any and everything by her, but this just wasn’t my favorite. I did still love the characters though. Talia is fantastic at creating lovable characters.

CW: ableism, parent abandonment

I really enjoyed this book about Eve, the third Brown sister, and I loved how all the sisters and their partners showed up! I appreciate the diversity of Talia Hibbert's characters - neuro-diversity, different body types, different cultures and colors of skin. And the setting of Skybriar is lovely - can't wait to read more about this place!

This was such a fun read and something I really needed! I love that the book showed two very different outward expressions of autism traits but how neurodivergent people can understand each other in ways Neurotypical people can’t always do.
I felt very seen by Eve as I am also an undiagnosed autistic. It was so lovely to read such a subtle and authentic creation about autistic people, love, and characters, as well as the struggles they faced. I made a joke that these two are like the “there are two wolves inside of you meme” as I related to both of them a lot! You don’t need to read the other books in the series to underStand anything, would probably add some context and Easter eggs but that didn’t inhibit my enjoyment. It did make me want to go and read the other two books though!
Highly recommend!!!

Will be posting a video and possibly a blog review

Trigger warnings: ableism, childhood neglect

I read both Get a Life, Chloe Brown and Take a Hint, Dani Brown in audio format, and loved the smart, sexy romances of the Brown sisters. The audiobooks are some of the most fun to listen to! In this final installment, the youngest Brown sister, Eve, has a directive from her parents to get a job and become independent.

Eve happens upon a B&B with a sign in the window asking for a chef. Eve has taken cooking and pastry classes for fun, so she enters in hopes of finding a job. The owner Jacob comes off as rude, but Dani does well in the interview. She's mortified when she leaves the interview and accidentally hits Jacob with her car.

Jacob's friend asks Eve to take over the B&B while Jacob is recovering, and Jacob is furious when he finds her there. But he's also distracted by how beautiful Eve is and how well she does her job.

These two may start as enemies, but their mutual attraction will ultimately be the undoing of their hostility. The sex scenes are steamy and descriptive, so readers of proper romance will not enjoy this one.

Talia Hibbert continues her tradition of focusing on differently-able characters. Big sister Chloe has fibromyalgia, Dani's boyfriend Zaf suffers from anxiety and grief, and Jacob is autistic.

Recommended for romance fans.

Thank you to the publisher for the eARC.

The third and final Brown sister finally gets her book. I loved getting to know Eve more. I loved seeing her discover herself, her passion, and that she can commit to something.

I really enjoyed the representation of Autism in this book. It was discussed and expressed with great care; and without making the characters feel like caricatures.

Seeing Eve and Jacobs relationship grow was so enjoyable. I loved their banter and how they got under each other’s skin.

If you enjoyed the previous books, pick this one up. I am sad we won’t be getting more stories about this family.

E-ARC provided by the publisher.

Talia Hibbert’s The Brown Sisters Series was my introduction to romance last year, or at least the introduction that made me excited to actually read more romances from different genres that I would enjoy. Her books are cute, fun, and never fail to make me laugh out loud. The final book in the series, Act Your Age, Eve Brown is probably my favorite of all three. If you read and enjoyed the previous two books, then this is a must-read.

As many other reviewers have said, this book is nothing short of delightful. There really isn’t a better word for the reading experience of Eve Brown. I loved Eve and Jacob, both as independent characters and as a couple. Their seemingly opposite personalities make reading about their interactions so enjoyable. Jacob is grumpy and very particular about how he runs his bed and breakfast, while Eve can best be described as whirlwind of a human trying her best. Their banter had me smiling throughout the story and those steamy scenes…yeah they were quite steamy.

Talia Hibbert is amazing at writing characters and relationships with emotional depth. There is always something outside of the relationship that the main characters are working through and that they come to solutions to with the support of their love interest, and not because of their love interest. I am always immensely impressed with how she wraps up her stories and the development of her characters, which is definitely also the case with Eve and Jacob.

Although I can’t speak on this book’s representation, I will say that it was very interesting to read from the perspective of characters exploring how they function in the world and whose talents are strengthened by their backgrounds. Jacob’s diagnosed autism and Eve’s discovering of her autism were well written in my opinion as someone who has not dealt with either of those things.

I especially liked seeing Eve come into her own and become more comfortable navigating the world independently. I could definitely relate to the struggle of not feeling “adult enough” despite your age and I very much enjoyed seeing that struggle depicted in a romance. And Jacob is everything I could want in a romantic hero, with difficulties of his own that he works through. Ultimately, they both work on their blooming relationship (even if that third act romance novel misunderstanding is present and is a little annoying) and arrive at a sweet, satisfying conclusion

ahhh my favorite of the series!!
- I loved Eve's personality and connected with her and the issues she was facing a lot
- I also loved Jacob!! from the beginning even if he was "pitched" as cold, you really could tell how sweet he was and I loved seeing that come out throughout the book
- the setting for this is SO CUTE. running a lil B&B together? stop
- I could have done without the conflict in here but that's pretty much true for me in all romance so not the books fault at all!
pls Talia Hibbert write a series about the Montrose family I beg of thee

Act Your Age, Eve Brown makes me happy because I loved it so epically much, but also heartbroken because I cannot believe this is the last time we get to read a new book about the Brown Sisters! I think Act Your Age, Eve Brown might just have taken first place for me in this series. Talia Hibbert absolutely nails the sarcastic, witty dialogue, both between characters and as internal monologues, and I laughed out loud more times than I could count. But that humor and occasionally wry prose is, in true Hibbert fashion, always padded with the most relatable, human, complex situations that make you want to cry out of compassion, out of relatability, out of feeling seen - or maybe even called out (that’s me! In every Hibbert book.), while you laugh at how simultaneously absurd and realistic the hilariously unfortunate situations the Brown sisters seem to find themselves in.

And y’all, the autism rep! At first, I was a little bummed that the autism rep was going to just be in the male character, but then - BOOM! Oh, it’s so glorious. And Eve’s approach to it all - that she loves herself and knows herself and, whether or not there’s a term for her particular series of quirky behaviors and mannerisms, she is the same person. It’s so normalizing and empowering while showing the sometimes complicated realities of neurodivergence. But what Hibbert does so powerfully here is show autistic folks in loving, compassionate relationships; surrounded by friends who understand them and love them not in spite of their unique behavior but because of it. Plus, the body and sex positivity is off the charts and I am SO here for it.

Can a book be perfect? I didn’t think so, but, after reading Act Your Age, Eve Brown, I’m starting to think Hibbert has possibly earned the spot as my favorite author. I was blown away by this - it’s steamy and sexy and consensual and loving and strong and funny and PLEASE DON’T MAKE THIS SERIES END!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Avon/HarperCollins for this advance e-copy in exchange for an honest review. Congratulations to Talia Hibbert on an absolutely fantastic third installment!

"Act Your Age, Eve Brown" by Talia Hibbert
The Brown Sisters #3
Publication Date: 3.9.2021

Eve Brown is the flightiest of the Brown Sisters; she is a hot damn mess. No matter her good intentions, everything goes wrong, so she doesn't bother trying anymore. Eve ruins a wedding, and her parents decide it is time for their 26 year old daughter to grow up and prove herself, but Eve has no idea how. How can her parents expect her to hold the same job for an entire year?!

Jacob Wayne owns a bed and breakfast. He needs to be in control all the time; he is a perfectionist. When Eve with her lavender hair shows up to interview for his open chef position, Jacob flat out says no. Eve then hits Jacob with her car by "accident." Jacob's arm is broken, and his B&B is not running like he wants. Eve tries to help, she really does, but she cannot do anything like Jacob prefers, and his frustration shows!

Eve is sunshine and everything positive, while Jacob is grumpy, and the two compliment each other so well! The banter I expected from the previous two novels was up front and center, and it literally made me laugh out loud. Although I figured Eve and Jacob would end up together, it was so cute, realistic, and grounded. Plus, Jacob is autistic, and Ms. Hibbert always represents real-life people in her novels.

I'm disappointed this is the last novel, and I look forward to anything else Ms. Hibbert will write in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

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I adored this book from beginning to end. The moment Talia Hibbert introduced to Eve's chaotic life, I was hooked. The baby of the Brown family, Eve has been indulged in every aspect of her life. At 26, she still hasn't managed to hold down a steady job. When Eve gives up on wedding planning, her parents finally give her an ultimatum – she has to find a job and start paying her own bills and finding her own way. When Eve stumbles onto a charming B&B looking for a new chef, she decides to take advantage of the open call for interviews and walks in. Only things go from bad to worse nearly the moment she walks into the place. She and the owner Jacob clash from the start, within minutes she's botched the interview, then she hits Jacob with her car as she's trying to leave.

Jacob's desperately understaffed, leaving him with no choice but to rely on Eve's guilty conscience to help him in the pinch until he's recovered from the accident and able to work fulltime again. Sparks of every kind fly in this sexy enemies to lovers romance.

Every time I read a Brown Sisters book, I'm convinced the one I've read most recently is my favorite. I loved Get a Life. Chloe Brown, then thought, Take a Hint, Dani Brown was even better, and I loved the book about the final Brown sister so much, I'm convinced I liked this one even more. All of this is an entirely overly long way of me saying, this series keeps getting better and better. Jacob and Eve's fiery chemistry had me hooked from their first argumentative interview. Hibbert makes such relatable, sympathetic characters, they seem so real. I loved the diversity and autism rep. I'm always excited for a Talia Hibbert book and this one was no exception. Highly recommend.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Avon for providing me an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am absolutely devastated that Talia Hibbert’s “Brown Sisters” is coming to an end because every single book has been both laugh-out-loud witty and heart-wrenchingly romantic. I didn’t think it was possible for me to love any book more than I had loved “Take a Hint, Dani Brown” (I stg bisexual goddess Dani is my soulmate) – but the final installment, “Act Your Age, Eve Brown”, took the cake.

I went into the book without any knowledge of the plot, so I was incredibly happily surprised when it turned out to be full of my favorite tropes. It follows Eve, the youngest of the Brown sisters, who runs away from her problems (and her parents) to a small town and finds herself the new chef of an understaffed B&B run by the surly owner, Jacob. Small town romance!!! And not to mention, Jacob and Eve have an amazing enemies-to-friends-to-lovers storyline that is filled with sizzling banter and hilarious jabs. Basically, I was smiling the entire book, and could not put it down. Eve is an absolute delight, and Jacob is certainly swoon-worthy.

Overall, do yourself a favor and pick up this book as soon as it becomes available – you will not regret it!! It was the perfect ending to the “Brown Sisters” series, and I am so so sad that it’s over, but so so glad that I got to enjoy it. (Time to go re-read from the beginning, methinks)

Thank you to Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. No one is writing romance like Talia Hibbert is, PERIOD. 4.5 stars.

When I read Get a Life, Chloe Brown last year I concluded it was my favorite romance of all time, and as I read more of her other books and Take a Hint, Dani Brown she continued to deliver. Act Your Age, Eve Brown, like the other books in this series, continues to excel at what makes Hibbert such a phenomenal writer.

She writes banter like nothing else; the quirky, sarcastic, and fun humor that was evident in every exchange between Eve and Jacob was so fun to witness. The CHEMISTRY between these characters was so fiery and undeniable. Hibbert wrote these characters with such depth, care, and warmth that you can't help but fall in love with them. I saw so much of myself in Eve that I wasn't expecting. The STEAMINESS is on another level. If there's one thing Talia is gonna do is, it's write some hot ass sex scenes and she did not fail in this book. The Brown Sisters series has been a fun, lovable, romantic ride and I am so sad that it's ending here, but what a book for it to end on.

Anxiously waiting for whatever Talia Hibbert writes in the future because I know she will not disappoint.

I'm so sad that the Brown Sisters trilogy has come to an end! I really enjoyed reading every single one of these books, and Talia Hibbert is a rom-com author who deserves WAY more hype. She has a beautiful way of tackling serious issues (physical/mental health, abusive relationships, PTSD, grief, neuro divergence, etc) while never skimping on the hilarities of life, and she writes romance that feels very well-balanced (and steamy as heck.) While, TAKE A HINT, DANI BROWN is my favorite of the three books, I still loved Eve and Jacob's story, and think a lot of people will fall for this couple. Definitely recommend the whole series!

Hibbert is amazing as a romantic comedy writer. Every one of these books has made me smile and sit there reading all day and all night just to learn more about the Brown sisters. This one did not disappoint. Although not my favorite book, Eve Brown may be my favorite character in this series. The way she describes her anxiety, her need to help others, and her inner thoughts hit me because it reminded me so much of myself. The way she and Jacob are characterized is so great.

I will say I was a little nervous on how autism is portrayed. I know Hibbert researched the topic (and may have written a book before with an autistic character if I remember my research on her). But sometimes the diagnosis was treated flippantly. However, I did like that she treated Jacob as a whole person who happened to have autism, not someone whose autism was his only character trait.

Overall, can't recommend this series enough!