Summary
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GENRE
TROPES
AO3 TAGS
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…
Hot Takes
What We Liked
Jems
I love the “bucket list” trope! It’s the perfect mix of funny and vulnerable. Chloe’s list pushes her (and Red) in the best ways, from the chaos of rescuing a stray cat to the delicious tension of a motorcycle ride. But it’s not just fun—their camping trip forces Chloe to trust and Red to heal. The list isn’t just a gimmick; it drives their growth, making their romance feel real and deeply satisfying.
What We Didn’t Like
Apers
It might just be me, but I really do not like the miscommunication trope. I’m sure this will come up time and time again in reviews, but I haven’t liked it since 2008 since I read Othello and I won’t start now. Some of the explanations of plot and relationships also felt a bit long, but first books tend to be that way. I generally prefer a book 3 to a book 1.
Review
Jems
Get a Life, Chloe Brown was a solid 3-star read for me: fun, flirty, but not a game-changer. The sizzling tension between Chloe and Red? Loved it. The disability and trauma rep? Super well done. And the steamy scenes? Enjoyed them for sure. But as someone who’s not a huge fan of contemporary romance, this didn’t convert me. Like Apers, I’ve never liked the miscommunication trope, and the third-act drama felt more forced than organic. It wasn’t bad by any means but I wasn’t dying to pick up the next book in the series after.
Apers
The tension between Chloe and Red honestly four peps on its own. Usually when I’m rating the peps, you can imagine a little Jemms over my shoulder like that Kronk meme and it’s her whispering “it was spicier” so my inclination was to do three peps for this, but the fountain scene is what really brings this up a pep. Nothing like the thrill of being in a place you could get caught and then having to talk to an aunt as though nothing happened to net a book four peps.
