Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert || Book Review

Eve Brown is a certified hot mess. No matter how hard she strives to do right, her life always goes horribly wrong—so she’s given up trying. But when her personal brand of chaos ruins an expensive wedding (someone had to liberate those poor doves), her parents draw the line. It’s time for Eve to grow up and prove herself—even though she’s not entirely sure how…

Jacob Wayne is in control. Always. The bed and breakfast owner’s on a mission to dominate the hospitality industry—and he expects nothing less than perfection. So when a purple-haired tornado of a woman turns up out of the blue to interview for his open chef position, he tells her the brutal truth: not a chance in hell. Then she hits him with her car—supposedly by accident. Yeah, right.

Now his arm is broken, his B&B is understaffed, and the dangerously unpredictable Eve is fluttering around, trying to help. Before long, she’s infiltrated his work, his kitchen—and his spare bedroom. Jacob hates everything about it. Or rather, he should. Sunny, chaotic Eve is his natural-born nemesis, but the longer these two enemies spend in close quarters, the more their animosity turns into something else. Like Eve, the heat between them is impossible to ignore—and it’s melting Jacob’s frosty exterior.

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And here we are, the final book of Hibbert’s hilarious romcom Brown Sisters trilogy. I loved seeing all the sisters closing chapters in their lives and opening new ones, but it’s definitely sad to say goodbye to Hibbert’s amazing cast of characters.

Eve Brown has to be one of the funniest and most whimsical of the three sisters, constantly on the go and looking for the next adventure. I loved her vibrant personality but also really seeing her character growth, as she finds her passion in life. Jacob’s definitely an intriguing love interest, especially with how opposite they are. She’s extraverted and vibrant, whereas Jacob is introverted and has great attention to detail. But seeing him discover a new side of himself due to Eve’s presence was so heartwarming to observe!

Something I really appreciated in Hibbert’s novel is her research into autism spectrum disorder (ASD), depicting a realistic and accurate representation without the obnoxious stereotypes I’ve come across multiple times in literature.

I will say, I was disappointed with the rushed ending of this novel. As I was finally getting into the story and the characters, the plot quickens and speeds to the end. Parts of the plot that seemed important and vital to the characters were just swept away to be addressed in passing near the end, not getting to experience those events with them. It just felt like an awkward end to a great series. However, I’m still super happy to have read this series, meaning it’s time to read another book/series by Hibbert!

I recommend this novel if you enjoy: hate-to-love trope; cognitive disability representation; new-age themes; romcoms; diverse characters.

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