Take a Hint, Dani Brown

Dani and Zaf have been flirting every day at work, but know that they are not suited for each other. Dani is a practical and brainy PhD student who is afraid of commitment while Zaf is a gruff former rugby player and a hopeless romantic who is working as a security guard at the university. During a fire drill in which Dani gets stuck in an elevator, Zaf goes full hero and carries her out of the university, prompting pictures of them to go viral as #couplegoals. In order to use the momentum from these photos to support Zaf’s nonprofit, the two agree to fake date. Of course, they both catch feelings and must push past their fears to find love with each other.

I absolutely loved Chloe Brown so I was so thrilled to read this next installment and was not disappointed. I found this installment to be a little funnier and definitely steamier. Dani is a great character. She’s super smart, thoughtful, and funny. After ending a fling with a coworker, Dani is on the hunt for someone who she can sleep with without strings attached. She puts that desire out into the universe, and the universe brings her the fake relationship with Zaf. Zaf, on the other hand, is not looking for just a fling. A die-hard romance reader, he’s looking for true love and thinks he may have found it with Dani. But since she doesn’t want a relationship, Zaf will take what he can get. Dani and Zaf have sizzling chemistry and their fake relationship quickly turns into real intimacy.

The sex scenes in this book were incredibly steamy, and I found the flirtation between Zaf and Dani to be heart melting. Even though they were technically faking the relationship, their flirtation and sweet scenarios were very real.

What I love about all of Hibbert’s characters is that they are multi-layered, flawed, and relatable. Because Dani puts her job and education first, past partners have told her that she is withholding. So, she chooses not to be in relationships and just have flings. Zafir experienced a heart breaking tragedy in his past that exacerbated his anxiety. Though he has worked hard to move on from this tragedy, he struggles to accept it as part of his life and suffers from severe panic attacks in certain scenarios. Dani and Zafir have such great respect for and understanding of each other. Dani researches anxiety so she can be prepared to help Zaf during panic attacks, while Zaf moves slowly in their relationship, supporting her work and making home-cooked meals. I love seeing how they grow together and communicate so effectively.

Of course, as things become more serious, Dani starts to pull back and Zaf feels like he has to let her go. Dani makes an incredibly sweet grand gesture that fits perfectly into the narrative.

I don’t read a lot of romance, but Take a Hint, Dani brown feels like a perfect modern romance and a great choice for people who love watching romantic comedies.

Have you read this one? What did you think? Let me know in the comments!