Take a Hint, Dani Brown: A Novel

The Brown Sisters, Book 2

By: Talia Hibbert

Narrated by: Ione Butler

Length: 10 hrs

Publisher's Summary

One of Oprah Magazine's 21 Romance Novels That Are Set to Be the Best of 2020

USA Today best-selling author Talia Hibbert returns with another charming romantic comedy about a young woman who agrees to fake date her friend after a video of him "rescuing" her from their office building goes viral....

Danika Brown knows what she wants: professional success, academic renown, and an occasional roll in the hay to relieve all that career-driven tension. But romance? Been there, done that, burned the T-shirt. Romantic partners, whatever their gender, are a distraction at best and a drain at worst. So Dani asks the universe for the perfect friend-with-benefits - someone who knows the score and knows their way around the bedroom.

When big, brooding security guard Zafir Ansari rescues Dani from a workplace fire drill gone wrong, it's an obvious sign: PhD student Dani and former rugby player Zaf are destined to sleep together. But before she can explain that fact to him, a video of the heroic rescue goes viral. Suddenly, half the internet is shipping #DrRugbae - and Zaf is begging Dani to play along. Turns out, his sports charity for kids could really use the publicity. Lying to help children? Who on earth would refuse? Dani's plan is simple: fake a relationship in public, seduce Zaf behind the scenes. The trouble is, grumpy Zaf is secretly a hopeless romantic - and he's determined to corrupt Dani's stone-cold realism. Before long, he's tackling her fears into the dirt. But the former sports star has issues of his own, and the walls around his heart are as thick as his...um, thighs.

The easy lay Dani dreamed of is now more complex than her thesis. Has her wish backfired? Is her focus being tested? Or is the universe just waiting for her to take a hint?

"Talia Hibbert is a rockstar! Her writing is smart, funny, and sexy...." (Meg Cabot, number one New York Times best-selling author of the Little Bridge Island and Princess Diaries series) 

©2020 Talia Hibbert (P)2020 HarperAudio

Looking forward to book three

This book was a cute read. There was something missing for me but ultimately  did enjoy it. The author is talented, I'm just not sure I'm a fan of the situationship turned relationship because rarely do situationships ever end in monogamous relationships.

I never warmed up to Dani. Her first introduction to me is being a witch, but I never got a clear view of what she practiced religiously. As a Black Caribbean Latinx person, I recognized Oshun being mentioned but her belief system seemed so linear and one-dimensional, I would expect this by white ppl interpreting african pagan religions but not a black woman. The fact the most she'd ever ask for from Oshun was to get laid felt like she was making fun of it.

Dani was so masculine, she didn't have any feminine traits. As a reformed hyper masculine woman due to what I'd been cultured to be, I wonder why light skinned, biracial or non-black/non-dark skinned women are never encouraged to be women who "don't need men".

She was amazing as a character but a little weak as a heroine. Her hero consistently gave gave gave but she rarely reciprocated even the smallest of things(like compliments or reassurance)even the ones that took little effort.

I understand this is a trope being turned on its head; Dani is wealthy and alpha-female and anti-commitment but she had very few traits that softened her. A man in this situation wouldn't deserve his love interest so I don't think she deserves her hero Zafir.

I love brown men in interracial. I think I'm disappointed that many of the brown men I've been reading as of recent weeks are a little boring. Zafir was a non-practicing Muslim and a cinnamon roll but much of what was adorable about him made him feel like financially he couldn't compete with Dani. I had to wonder whether this is the reason she never reassured him because he wasn't impressive in comparison to her so she reminded me of Molly from Insecure. She didn't really want to put in work she just wanted when her time was free to have a loyal partner.

Zahir was soft, I wish he'd had more Alpha traits but romance works better when the characters are opposite so I get it. Many of the things he did didn't seem realistic for a cis/het man. I'm all for challenging stereotypes but at times it felt like it was trying to be too feministy(I like feminist topics brought up but this one tackled too many). I also wished that all the characters he was close to who were practicing Muslims wouldn't have had Westernized names, especially because not every PoC needs a nickname easier to pronounce.

The narrator is pretty good and I commend her for finding a Black British narrator. I think as an American, I was already lost in translation for things, so I would've loved it if the name dropping of celebrity names would've featured more British Black women instead of American ones, because it would've forced me to learn and research celebrities I don't know as well.
At times it read too witty, and the banter was good but often never led anywhere since it took so long to get them in the sheets for me. I wish for as long as it took, that they would've at least gone on dates or hangouts that weren't booty calls. I never felt like they really knew each other outside of what they liked in the bedroom. Situationships rarely become deeper than that so while there's a desire for it, both parties rarely want more than what they're getting and because they did little to learn about each other, I wasn't sure it was this developed romance it's marketed to be.

Overall I think Zafir's mental health was handled well. He experienced panic attacks, had anxiety, suffered from depression and I didn't feel like it was too much. Dani wasn't my cup of tea but I loved that she was bi and chubby. I wish the descriptions had painted better pictures of them but she's not as descriptive as some authors I also read so maybe I'm just spoiled by certain authors.

It had a HEA so I'm obliged to give it at least a 3. I wish it would have at least been a 4 for me =/

Not as Good as the 1st Brown Sister Book

I was so excited for this come out. I had listened to and fell in love with the first book in this series Get a Life Chloe Brown which I've listened to 5 times. The story was unique, sweet, and funny AND the narration was some of the best I've ever heard. The Chloe Brown narrator had distinct voices for the main characters that truly brought them to life. Unfortunately the narration for Take a Hint, Dani Brown was a HUGE LET DOWN, You couldn't hear the distinction between the characters voices. I kept having to rewind to confirm who was talking and it distracted me from the story. And the story was simply read -rather than performed- by the narrator. The performance aspect is what makes or sadly breaks an audio book experience. I love, love, love Talia Hibbert. She again wrote a compelling story, but the narration ruined it me. HUGE BUMMER.

Second book or Talia Hibbert

I absolutely loved the first book and was so excited to read this book. As soon as i started it i was loving it i mean a man that loves reading romance books hell yeah sign me up! Also talks about anxiety is this book which im so grateful for because there isnt much books about it or even showed in guys. Im glad she wrote about it and did it justice. Also Hes a major cinnamon roll i loved it. Dani was so funny and confident like yas girl. The steamy scenes though were woah lol i was like listening to it while walking and blushing! Anyway i loved this book and definitely will read rest of her books when she comes out with more. Lastly i just loved when Red and Chloe showed up hehe. Made my heart swooon.

more like 3.5

3.5 Great writing and the pace of the romance was great, not instalove and not pining for years. Only 3.5 from me because it had so much potential to handle mental health and mix culture dating and it just went right above it...
One more thing, is it just me or most of the bisexual heroine in romance books always "end up" with a man?? Why is that?

Refreshing

I normally do not gravitate towards romance novels … but this book was being suggested all over blacktok (black TikTok). So I gave it a chance and I’m not mad. Would I read this book again? Probably not. But it was entertaining.

I’ve fallen in love with this author

I am a black woman and I have loved romance novels since childhood, but as is the case most of the people I read about were white. In my first year of grad school I joined book of the month and picked “Get a life, Chloe Brown.” That book was so good I decided to get the next sister’s book and it was even better. I love how the author incorporated negative coping styles as well as positive ones. In the black community mental health is stigmatized and goes I talked about. But in this book the author wrote acceptance so well, I was in awe at the characters and their responses. The narrator had such a beautiful voice I felt captivated at all times. I fully recommend this book and other books by this author. 😊

loved it.

the humor was great. I laughed through the whole thing. loved the narrators voice and accents as well.

Zafir will forever be in my top five book boyfriends!

This is my second time reading Dani and Zafir’s story and it was even better than the first. I enjoyed hearing the audiobook this time around. The narrator was wonderful and really brought the story to life. I love how Zafir allows Dani to be herself. They don’t try to change each other. They just love the other as they are. It’s a story I will reread for years to come.

You can't help but fall in love too

This book has it all, but especially my favorite tropes of fake dating and friends to lovers. While the premise is a little ridiculous, if you can suspend your belief for a little while, this book will grab and keep your attention as Dani and Zaf embark on this "fake" relationship while also convincing themselves that they're not head over heels in love. There is such perfect chemistry between these two, that I found myself grinning any time they interacted together, which was very often.

The story depicts mental health, anxiety, and depression, and smashes the walls of toxic masculinity to show that men are allowed to be weak, emotional, and vulnerable. That was so wonderful to see normalized, and made me fall in love with Zaf.

There are loads of steamy scenes in this book, so you will not be disappointed in the spice department.

Sooo Good!

Totally not what I expected. Story was easy to follow and witty. Literally finished the book in 24hrs. It was the accent of the reader for me. LOVED IT! Felt like I was listening to my friend and her love life. Loved Dani and Zaf. Their characters were real and full separately and together.