A Girl Like Her (Ravenswood, #1) by Talia Hibbert

Jan 06, 2019 Melanie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommended to Melanie by: Taryn

Shelves: erotic-scenes, own-voices, read-in-2019, dragons-and-tea, romance, contemporary

“There are some things you don’t get over. You just accept them, and keep breathing. That’s enough.”

Talia Hibbert is a national treasure, and I don’t think that I ever want to leave Ravenswood or these characters. Talia truly crafts the most heartwarming romances, with amazingly diverse characters, and weaves in some of the sexiest scenes I’ve ever read in my entire life. I have loved everything that she has written so far, and A Girl Like Her is probably my favorite yet. Truly a ...more

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Mar 15, 2018 K.J. Charles added it · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, fun-fun-fun, oh-god-where-is-the-next-book, m-f

A strong contender for best contemporary of 2018 and it's only March. God I loved this book. It's got a hero who is just kind, considerate, consensual, reasonable, can cook. A heroine who's prickly and angry and allowed to be. A lovely family even if they're hilarious pains in their own way (the mother's one POV sequence is gleeful). A joyously life-enhancing plot, a bad guy who is bad without overshadowing the book, a love that heals people in the way happiness does, ie it helps Ruth be more ...more

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Apr 18, 2018 Heather K (dentist in my spare time) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: loved-it, m-f, great-chemistry, favorites-2018, contemporary, poc-mc, beta-heros-in-mf, romance, black-author-reading-week-2018

*4.5 stars*

Halfway through A Girl Like Her, I added every single one of Talia Hibbert's books to my to-read list. Every one. And I usually hate M/F contemporary romance.

A Girl Like Her was quirky and fun, but had a very serious edge. I loved the complex dynamics and the autistic spectrum MC, who for once wasn't a savant/scientist/math genius. She was real, and her autism was just a part of what made her who she was.

It's hard for me to explain what made this small-town story stand out, other ...more

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Apr 09, 2018 destiny ♡⚔♡ [howling libraries] rated it it was amazing

Recommended to destiny ♡⚔♡ by: ambsreads

Shelves: fat-rep, own-voice, otp, contemporary, tough-topics, adult, owned-digital, romance, disability-and-mi, favorites

#1 A Girl Like Her
#1.5 Damaged Goods
#2 Untouchable
#3 That Kind of Guy

re-read update: may 18, 2019:
3rd time, gets better every time. I read it via audiobook this time and really enjoyed it. It took me a little while to get into the narrator, but I was sold by the end and want to collect the rest of her audiobooks for more casual rereads!
re-read update: january 13, 2019:
This is just as good the second time. No, it might be even better.

I’m not usually one for reading adult contemporary titles, ...more

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Feb 02, 2019 Warda rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Read as part of the Dragons and Tea Book Club.

This was such a joy to read. Summed up:
It’s a small town story set in England.
About a black, autistic woman (#ownvoices) who’s grumpy, blunt, loves her family, is into her books and fanfic and writes her own web comics.
An ex-army dude who’s too good for this world, kind and can cook! He’s a dreamboat!

I loved following their story and seeing them fall for each other. It’s always refreshing to see the male character not being such a douche. ~~But~~ ...more

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Apr 04, 2018 Sam (AMNReader) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: best-heroine, high-rating-reread-project, consent-done-sexy, urr-challenge-2018, book-boyfriend, favorite-romance, unlimited, sweet-hero, forced-proximity, neuroatypical

4.5 I wouldn’t call what I’ve been in a book slump at all. I would say I’m book grumpy. Book grouchy. Contemporary romances have been the number one aim of my discontent. Really, it’s as if Jack Talent invaded my soul (cause we’re soul mates. Yep, fictional character, try to tell me it’s not real)…and I’m all “Piss and shit,” and sometimes even “Piss and shit and buggering, bloody, fucking hell,” on the sub-genre in the past few weeks. The ongoing B-R with the very lovely, very nuanced, very 4.5 I wouldn’t call what I’ve been in a book slump at all. I would say I’m book grumpy. Book grouchy. Contemporary romances have been the number one aim of my discontent. Really, it’s as if Jack Talent invaded my soul (cause we’re soul mates. Yep, fictional character, try to tell me it’s not real)…and I’m all “Piss and shit,” and sometimes even “Piss and shit and buggering, bloody, fucking hell,” on the sub-genre in the past few weeks. The ongoing B-R with the very lovely, very nuanced, very well-crafted Darkest London is probably layering on this irritation…those books make me ache, man. This is also why I REALLY need a nice refreshing CR.

To the rescue are two of my GR friends, who aren’t just particular (I guess many of us are that) they are stingy with their stars so seeing a 3.5 from Gaufre & a 5-a joyful 5-from Renae made me raise my eyebrows. And, oh, look here, I’m on my KU binge. I fully expected to enjoy this book as a result.

So what happened? Enter Talia Hibbert, who I’ve never read-never heard of-before said “Oh, you’re grumpy about books?” She wadded up that feeling, threw it in my face, then picked it up and lit in on fire. Then I think someone slapped me. This #ownvoices romance is fresh. A smart, funny, quick style. Sexy as hell. Authentic. Characters that are real and unapologetic. Strong female relationships, a perfect hero who still makes mistakes but they are so understandable so he still is pretty perfect. And more sexy consent please. A book about patience, forgiveness, and loyalty. Good people. Delicious.

My gripe? I wish it were longer. There was a lack of depth here or there I was hoping for more-some pieces seemed skimmed over a little bit-but these two were so sweet, funny, earnest, and wonderful it didn’t matter The heroine (Ruth) was prickly! Unapologetically. No explanations, no softening, these characters just are…

And look, Chris Evans is like my 9th favorite famous Chris, but Talia Hibbert suddenly made me think, “Oh Evans as Captain America, please and thank you.” She's not wrong about the gif. (which I watched maybe a couple too many times last night?)

(I feel like I had to add this to my review. Because...flavor.)

description

Look, I realize I didn’t really review the book here. My heart boiled over with joy, I say. I had to take some breathers from all that happy. I point you to Renae’s for more details on why.

Feelings weren’t as straight forward and binary as he’d once assumed; around Ruth he could feel fifty things at once. ...more

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Apr 07, 2018 Ira rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle-unlimited, strong-heroine, sweet-hero, contemporary, mental-illness

What a pleasure read this book was

I thought, I can guess what the story all about from the prologue, I couldn’t get more wrong.
You might read something like this before, but the depth, the twist and the characters were so special and it made this book stand up from the rest.

Ruth, our heroine is a comic web artist, interesting job btw:), she came with her mum and sister from Sierra Leone and lives in one small village in England since she was a young child. Later on in the story you will find ...more

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Mar 18, 2018 SamJ ★Needs a HEA★ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: theme-great-secondary-characters, better-than-5-star-reads, theme-opposites-attract, genre-contemporary-romance, read-2018, 5-star-reads, theme-secrets-and-lies, book-challenge-2018, theme-abusive-ex, theme-friends-to-lovers

Check out this and my other reviews at My Blog, Facebook, Google+, Twitter and Pinterest

Book Basics

Genre : - Cont. Romance
Series : - 1st in the series
Love triangle? - (view spoiler)
Cheating? - (view spoiler)
HEA? - (view spoiler)
Would I read more by this author/or in this series? -Yes
Rating - 5+++ stars

Review

I adored this story! Adored, adored adored adored!

I loved the heroine. She was wonderfully prickly and geeky! She also ...more

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Sep 07, 2018 Leo (Queen of the Rants) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: strong-heroine, safe

I loved this book. Heroine was awesome. She had me laughing! So cute!
Hero was a huge teddy bear of a man. I hate when a man uses his size to intimidate the woman but NOT this hero, he was so sweet with her.. I just loved how he was with her. I call dibs on him!

Completely 100% safe.

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Mar 22, 2018 Meags rated it it was amazing

Shelves: book-boyfriends, war-and-military, mf, romance, panties-just-went-poof, buddy-reads, best-couples, fave-characters, disability-disorder-illness, mf-faves

4.5 Stars

In A Girl Like Her, Talia Hibbert has delivered a deliciously diverse contemporary romance of the highest quality and (within a matter of pages) effortlessly established herself as my number one new author to watch.

I can’t quite recall the last time I loved the lead characters in an M/F romance so damn much. What makes Ruth and Evan so special is how realistically they are portrayed. So often you read about characters that ring false to real life, where the perfection of a hero or 4.5 Stars

In A Girl Like Her, Talia Hibbert has delivered a deliciously diverse contemporary romance of the highest quality and (within a matter of pages) effortlessly established herself as my number one new author to watch.

I can’t quite recall the last time I loved the lead characters in an M/F romance so damn much. What makes Ruth and Evan so special is how realistically they are portrayed. So often you read about characters that ring false to real life, where the perfection of a hero or heroine is simply too far-fetched to even be slightly applicable to reality, but here, both Evan and Ruth are extremely relatable people, grounded in the reality of the everyday, and I much appreciated them for it.

Ruth is tetchy and awkward, but also fierce and fiery, a lot neurotic, kind of nerdy, unknowingly hilarious, and definitely 100% genuine. She is also a woman of colour and has autism, neither of which are traits that define who she is as a person, they simply are, making up small parts that add to the whole person - as it damn well should be! She’s practically the town pariah, due to a relationship gone bad and some small-minded (false or exaggerated) town gossip, and until she meets Evan – her spunky new neighbour – she’s cocooned herself in a fuck-them-all mentality, which I certainly couldn’t fault her for and possibly would have done the same myself if put in a similar situation.

Then we have Evan who is a bit of a dreamboat. His straightforwardness, general affability and kind-hearted nature make him so easy to like. He is a man who knows his own mind and sticks to his guns, which I loved to see minus the usual arrogance and cockiness that's attached to so many male leads in romance reads. Instead of being deterred by Ruth’s initial prickliness upon their first meeting, and instead of being easily swayed by the towns general bad gossip where Ruth is concerned, he chooses instead to make up his own damn mind and pursue a friendship, and later a relationship, with this woman whom he finds himself wholly enthralled by and hopelessly attracted to, regardless of what anyone else has to say about the matter. His loyalty, passion, open-mindedness, patience, and wholehearted acceptance of who Ruth is, inside and out, just made Evan all the more lovable.

Their relationship progression developed like a dream and the bigger story - featuring the details of Ruth’s backstory and why she was such a pariah - unfolded at a perfect pace, flowing effortlessly. There wasn’t a single moment I wasn’t fully engaged and enjoying the hell out of myself. I laughed, I cried, I raged and I cheered, all while having a highly memorable and enriching reading experience.

This was a really great contemporary read and one I highly recommend to my M/F reading friends. It’s certainly undeniable that my eagerness to read more from Hibbert won’t be contained, and I’m sure over the coming months I’ll devour her backlog and coming releases with great zeal. I can't wait! ...more

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Feb 08, 2019 Amy Risner rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: dragons-and-tea-2019, 2019-books

I had never heard of Talia Hibbert before, but the second I found out she’s a romance writer who is always boosting body positivity and consent, I WAS THERE FOR IT. Now I want to own every single book by her. Please, if you want to support an independent, ownvoices author, pick up her books! I truly think you’ll be in for a real treat.

This book follows Ruth, a black, plus sized woman who creates web comics and prefers to stay home and keeps to herself. She lives in a small town called

I had never heard of Talia Hibbert before, but the second I found out she’s a romance writer who is always boosting body positivity and consent, I WAS THERE FOR IT. Now I want to own every single book by her. Please, if you want to support an independent, ownvoices author, pick up her books! I truly think you’ll be in for a real treat.

This book follows Ruth, a black, plus sized woman who creates web comics and prefers to stay home and keeps to herself. She lives in a small town called Ravenswood, where she’s been labeled a “pariah” and rumors about her are constantly flying. But she’s just trying to move on from her past where she was involved in an abusive relationship. Ruth is also autistic and she tends to not trust new people. She is only close to her sister and mother, but that all starts to change when Evan moves in next door.

Evan is white, ex-military, and he’s very soft spoken and incredibly loyal. He also has a past where he was hurt, and he’s just trying to move on. He’s kind and constantly giving to others. He notices Ruth and slowly befriends her. After he sees Ruth’s horrible diet and learning her cooking skills are… nonexistent… he starts cooking her food every day and brings it over. AND OMG MY HEART.

There’s nothing I love more than two people connecting over food, and I just loved how understanding and patient Evan was with Ruth. He never pressured her to confront him about her past, and once their relationship evolved, there was always so much consent and body positivity.

What I really loved about Ruth was that she was so fiercely loyal to her family, and she knew how to stand up for herself. But she also completely shuts down when any mention of her ex was brought up, because she was always so focused on guilt and blaming herself for the abuse. This topic is brought up a lot, but Talia Hibbert really does such a tasteful job at addressing it. Ruth’s anxiety is also so relatable, and I just know so many people are going to understand and just GET her character. Also? Her favorite attire is pajamas and that is such a mood.

Please use caution going into this book if you are a survivor of abuse. And there are triggers for anxiety, slut shaming, and ableism language toward autism. But I seriously can’t recommend this book enough if you are looking for a good book in the romance genre. Trust me, I don’t read a ton of romance (where there is a whole lotta steam!) but this one was so incredibly well written and you will fly right through it!

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This was our February pick for the Dragons & Tea Book Club! ...more

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May 08, 2018 Bubu rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: cr, read-2018, 4-stars

4.5 stars

I apologise in advance. I just finished A Girl Like Her, and I don’t think I’ll be able to write a coherent review; just random things that are running through my head. And, to be honest, I’ll probably digress a lot.

A big thank you to Sam. Ever since I saw her rating, I clicked on ‘like’ every time I saw the rating, but refusing to read any reviews, which I’ll do once I’m finished. I must admit, one of the reasons why I waited over a month to read it – apart from the hype this book was ...more

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Apr 22, 2019 Renégade ♥ rated it really liked it

Shelves: part-of-a-series, ir-and-multi-c-romance, type-artist-or-tattooist, audiobooks, type-military-special-ops-or-ex, erotica-or-erotic-romance, gifts-and-disabilities-or-scarred

4 to 4 1/2 stars

Evan liked her wariness. It made every inch of her trust a reward.

Image result for holding hands

I enjoyed reading Ruth and Evan's tale.

Ruth is a misunderstood woman for numerous reasons, but Evan sees her worth, her value, and has a desire to care for and protect her.

"He's... he's lovely. I mean, [Evan's] kind, and thoughtful, and he lets me think, and he always has something funny to say. I don't know. I just like talking to him."
"So he's nothing like - "
"No," Ruth said quickly. "No."

Though she can be ...more

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Jan 13, 2019 Lou rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: adorable-couples, contemporary-romance, neurodiverse, slow-burn, multiple-povs, own-voices

Read as part of the Dragons and Tea Book Club ((even though I completely missed the deadlines bc biologically i need to disappoint myself at least once per day))

“Evan liked her wariness. It made every inch of her trust a reward.”

I was not expected this book to be so highly comforting to me. And yet it really, truly was. It felt so safe, I never felt stressed about anything??????? And yet I was also emotionally invested. After reading The Bride Test and feeling wholly disconnected to the ...more

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Apr 09, 2018 Sara Reads (mostly) LOTS of Romance rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: cute

Wow! This was really wonderful, unexpectedly so! I have never read a book like this before, with a poc heroine AND with autism, where she struggles socially and with communication. It's also very rare to find a hero so sweet, understanding and patient. I loved how he wasn't your usual alpha hero, which I love, but sometimes get bored of. Overall amazing, sweet and reading it just made me smile when I finished it

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Feb 07, 2019 Julie Zantopoulos rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: buddy-read, ebooks, diverse-read, read-in-2019

First, I love that we have a WOC author and WOC main character, I love it even more when there's representation for the neurodiverse! Ruth has been branded the town whore and her backstory is heartbreaking and way too real. This is such a layered and nuanced erotic story and it worked so damn well. Gimme it, gimme all of it.

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Apr 08, 2019 Mariah rated it liked it

Shelves: read-in-2019, own-kindle, tbr-2018-releases

Read this directly after The Kiss Quotient, which is also about a woman with ASD - and I much prefer this one in terms of writing and story developent; I’ve been finding so much joy in #OwnVoices books lately.

Well, it's morning now and I've got a quiet office all to myself and steaming cup of coffee, with what others may consider too much cinnamon (no such thing in my book), so it is review time.

This was a sweet story with a pinch of intrigue - which every small town has. Set in Ravenswood, a ...more

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Mar 23, 2018 Shanna Matheo rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This was so freaking adorable! I loved Ruth with her quirky awkward self and Evan was just so sweet and sexy!

This was my first book by this author, but it for sure won't be my last. I really enjoyed her writing style. This story was cute, fun and very realistic, but the the end felt a tad bit rushed and the resolution a tad bit unsatisfying. Hence 4 stars instead of 5.

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May 19, 2018 ♥Sharon♥ rated it it was ok · review of another edition

I probably should have set this one aside because I ended up doing a lot of skimming and that is never any good.

I found the book to be blasé and never made a connection with either of the main characters which makes it hard to enjoy the story.

Ah well you can’t love them all right!

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Jul 13, 2019 Hollis rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: overdrive, 2019-reads, finished-in-july-2019, not-all-the-feels-but-some, sexytimes, contemporary, best-of-the-book-boyfriends, hello-diversity, a-smattering-of-lols, family-focused

Parts of this I loved, parts I feel kind of wibbly over. Most of the characters felt so strong, so lovely, while elements of the plot felt kinda thin. But the romance was so sweet, so real, and full of hella sexy consent.

I've kinda surmised where the rest of the books might go, and who stars in them, and I'm super keen to read on. Mostly because I've tried enough Hibbert (three now!) to know there's a strong four, maybe even five, star full-length book out there with her name on it. I just need ...more

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Apr 17, 2018 Ridley rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 4-star, ebook, contemporary, disabled-h-h, read-2018

Ruth might be my favorite heroine ever. Finally, a disabled heroine (she's autistic) who gets to run her own life in her own way without needing a non-disabled hero to rescue her. The sweet, muscular, bearded, blacksmith hero who cooks his way into her life one shepherds pie at a time was a plus as well. Hibbert does an excellent job of writing the characters' POV scenes so I really felt like I was visiting two different heads. Really enjoyed it.

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Nov 07, 2018 Melanie A. rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle

4 STARS!

Internally, her nerves were a mess, like multiple pairs of earbuds shoved into the same coat pocket.

SO MUCH to like in this one!

Ruth is a reclusive web comic author/designer with autism who has alienated most of the population of her small town. Evan is new to town and moves in next door. Despite her hostility toward him, Evan is completely intrigued by his new neighbour.

Interesting character alert: I very much liked the way the author crafted these two; both Ruth and Evan had 4 STARS!

Internally, her nerves were a mess, like multiple pairs of earbuds shoved into the same coat pocket.

SO MUCH to like in this one!

Ruth is a reclusive web comic author/designer with autism who has alienated most of the population of her small town. Evan is new to town and moves in next door. Despite her hostility toward him, Evan is completely intrigued by his new neighbour.

Interesting character alert: I very much liked the way the author crafted these two; both Ruth and Evan had depth.

Evan . . .

Evan was a simple man: as long as he had objectives to meet, he was happy.

Though he wasn't quite as complex as Ruth, I liked Evan - a lot. He was honorable, steady, and loyal. He was the perfect foil for Ruth. Plus, he had this incredible sex-on-a-stick thing going on. ;-)

Ruth was where most of the magic happened for me. Her struggle to receive and give social cues was illuminating and well-done.

She'd forgotten to offer him tea. Was it too late to mention? She wasn't entirely sure. Once she managed to knock herself off the socially acceptable path, Ruth could never figure out how to climb back on again.

And I really appreciated that the author focused on portraying her as real instead of as likable.

Ruth had a policy when it came to knocked doors: she didn't answer them. She didn't enjoy speaking to people willy-nilly. Anyone who wanted to see her could arrange it well in advance, preferably via text or email.

Huh...that sounds like me, lol. No wonder I didn't hold her 'quirks' against her.

So where is the missing star? I honestly considered giving a full 5 stars because I loved the setting, the sex was extra hot, and I adored the writing style. [Is it strange that the author's proper use of commas warmed my heart? LOL]

But I couldn't do it . . . I just felt that Ruth's autism came and went too conveniently in the second half of the story. I understand that the author wanted her character to save herself, but I would have preferred that she do it within the framework that was created for her.

Of course, take my criticism with a grain of salt - I'm usually weird about things most people don't notice or care about. :D Enjoy this gem of a novel! ...more

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Mar 21, 2018 The FountainPenDiva, Old school geek chick and lover of teddy bears rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: books-on-kindle, characters-nerdy-girls, characters-british-heroes, genre-interracial-romance, author-is-my-rock-star, characters-awesome-alpha-males, characters-plus-sized-heroes, characters-british-heroines, books-helpful-writing-guides, favourite-books-2018

Every so often a romance comes along that restores my faith and love of the genre. A Girl Like Her was just that book. It hit all of The Fountain Pen Diva's happy buttons and then some.

Granted, I was not a fan of Ms. Hibbert's Bad for the Boss: A BWAM Office Romance because boss/employee "romances" are not my thing. However, the author had an engaging style and a way of writing characters that I liked, despite the plot. With 'A Girl Like Her', this talent just shines.

No heroine hijacking. Every so often a romance comes along that restores my faith and love of the genre. A Girl Like Her was just that book. It hit all of The Fountain Pen Diva's happy buttons and then some.

Granted, I was not a fan of Ms. Hibbert's Bad for the Boss: A BWAM Office Romance because boss/employee "romances" are not my thing. However, the author had an engaging style and a way of writing characters that I liked, despite the plot. With 'A Girl Like Her', this talent just shines.

No heroine hijacking. Consent is actually SEXY. Heroine doesn't "get fixed" because the hero falls in love with her.

Ruth is autistic and it's not a big deal. She's not a bundle of pity party patheticness. She's intelligent, creative and when she allows herself to be, rather funny. The heroine actually has sexual agency and owns it. She's also socially awkward and prickly. She's a geek who has her own webcomic. She's pretty but that isn't what defines her. In the small town of Ravenswood, Ruth and her sister Hannah have a reputation and it's not a good one - though it's unfair. She feels safe inside her apartment, but there is a very good reason for this.

Ex-military Evan is a NICE guy. A nice, sensitive guy who could still kick someone's ass if he needed to. Wow, go figure. In a genre that seems to favor entitled, sexist jerkwads, he was a breath of fresh air. He doesn't belittle the heroine or insist his big dick is what she needs to make her "normal". He respected Ruth's space and her autonomy. He's not arrogant to think he can "rescue" her. He is a good cook and prepares meals for his friends. He's what a REAL alpha male should be - friend, lover, protector and respector. He's not always sure what Ruth is thinking and he doesn't press her to talk when he sees that it sometimes makes her uncomfortable.

These two unlikely people find each other - well actually, Evan introduces himself by baking his unknown neighbor a shepherd's pie. A kind gesture on his part and one that Ruth doesn't get. But she also can't deny that as annoying as Evan may be, she's attracted to him. The conversations she had in her head were quite funny as she tries to make her brain and her mouth match. On the other hand, a sexy guy who made her a shepherd's pie must know that she's the town outcast.

Unfortunately, there's a dark side to idyllic Ravenswood by the name of Daniel, the town's good-looking and wealthy son of the town's elite family. He's a man used to getting everything he wants and telling people what to do. Or in this case, telling Evan whom to see. Bad idea. I don't want to spoil the read, just know there's a horrible history between him and Ruth and a huge part of why she and her sister are (unfairly) branded as the town's outcasts. To say I hated Daniel was putting it mildly.

Ruth couldn't ask for a better sister than Hannah, despite how the latter tries to force her out of her comfort zone sometimes or perhaps not always understands what goes on in Ruth's head. Still, Hannah will not allow anyone to screw her sister over, and she proves that in the prologue. I also loved their mom, Patience. I have a strong feeling that mom is playing everyone with her seeming float through life, Deal or No Deal watching persona.

Then there's Zach. He needs his own story stat. I liked him too.

Oh, can I just give this author an extra star for actually having Ruth deal with her period? Seriously, most romance books totally ignore something so natural - if a bit annoying and messy. More often than not, the only time periods get mentioned is in relation to whether or not the heroine is pregnant due to having unprotected sex. I totally related to having to rush to the store for tampons with toilet paper as a temporary substitute. Don't cringe, I'm sure some of you reading this review know damn well what I'm talking about.

Last but never least, no colorism. Ruth is dark-skinned, plus-sized and she's no sad sack. She owns her body and Evan adores every curve.

'A Girl Like Her' was an amazing romance and easily one of the best I've read in a long time. ...more

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Apr 08, 2018 Tina rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: z2018-reads, romance-contemporary, interracial-romance

This is only the second book by this author that I've read but I find that I am really digging her voice. While I liked, but was not crazy about the previous book of hers that I read, I still liked the writing.

In this one the heroine is a woman named Ruth who had been involved with Daniel, a rich spoiled scion of the the leading family in town. We don't quite know what the nature of the relationship was in the beginning, only that it ended acrimoniously and he continues to somewhat bitterly ...more

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Apr 06, 2018 Kiki rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Apparently Ira is currently reading it, and even though our tastes differ, I’ll wait for her review

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Mar 16, 2018 Renae rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2018, genre-romance-contemporary, setting-england

It's hard for me, sometimes, to find a romance that makes my heart happy, satisfies my soul, and makes me believe in love. If that sounds overly sentimental, rest assured that I don't often find such books, so I don't usually sound so...flouncy. But. Sometimes, I do. And then I melt into a gushy mess.

Talia Hibbert's A Girl Like Her turned me into a pile of feelsy goop. This book was absolute perfection, and then some. It's by far the best book I've read so far this year. Like, seriously. Any It's hard for me, sometimes, to find a romance that makes my heart happy, satisfies my soul, and makes me believe in love. If that sounds overly sentimental, rest assured that I don't often find such books, so I don't usually sound so...flouncy. But. Sometimes, I do. And then I melt into a gushy mess.

Talia Hibbert's A Girl Like Her turned me into a pile of feelsy goop. This book was absolute perfection, and then some. It's by far the best book I've read so far this year. Like, seriously. Any contemporary romance I read for the rest of 2018 will be measured against this (and it will probably not meet the standards, tbh.)

This is a love story between Ruth Kabbah, the prickly and awkward self-proclaimed "Town Jezebel," and Evan Miller, her new neighbor. If we're being honest, I picked this book up because A) it came highly recommended, and B) the promo materials highlighted Ruth's autism. Spoiler: I think this is some of the best neuroatypical rep I've seen in fiction like...ever. God, so great. Anyhoo.

So, yes. Ruth is a web comic designer who loves to wear superhero pajamas and can't cook. She's also the town pariah, mostly because her ex-boyfriend is a stalkery rapist with a lot of money who turned the whole town against Ruth rather than own up to his stalkery and rapey ways. Enter Evan, new guy in town, who does a neighborly thing and brings Ruth a shepherd's pie. Evan, by the way, really can cook, and he takes it upon himself to bring Ruth dinner every night in exchange for comic books and general banter. Because, in spite of what the town says, he thinks Ruth in all her blunt and prickly ways, is delightful.

I loved this couple. They're so adorable. I loved that Evan was completely accepting of Ruth from the get-go, and there was no big to-do about her autism. At the beginning of the book she says "I have autism, there's nothing wrong with my brain" and he says "okay, sure!" and that's literally it. Complete acceptance. I can say from experience that a lot of people think they accept autistic people, but they also are full of ideas on how those same autistic people could modify their behaviors to make everyone else more comfortable. It's exhausting. A Girl Like Her doesn't even go toward that road for a second.

I was trying to pitch this book to a friend (and probably failed, because how do you describe such awesomeness?) and the adjective I kept coming up with was "genuine." Everything about this book felt so heartwarming and authentic. Evan was such a nice guy (not an ironic "nice guy")—he cares about people, takes care of them, doesn't have a cruel bone in his body, and is nuts about Ruth and isn't ashamed to let the whole world know. Ruth has some trauma and associated guilt, but she's also very secure in who she is, and she doesn't ever think of changing to make her life "easier." The small town setting was tough, because obviously almost everyone in this book is a gossipy asshole, but again, I thought Hibbert handled it very well.

Last note: female relationships! Ruth's mother and older sister are a huge part of this book, and I was so delighted by the complexity and realism of those relationships. There's a lot going on there, and it just made me really happy to see such strong, loving women interact with all the best of intentions to help each other, even if their attempts were sometimes imperfect. Such a great touch.

In short: this is one of the best romance novels I've ever read. It's perfect. And that's all that needs to be said. ...more

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May 15, 2018 Mandi Schreiner rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, autism

A lot of people have recommended this book and I’m trying to make an effort to read books I see recommended in a timely manner, instead of buying it, and having it sit on my Kindle to be buried. Our heroine Ruth is many things. She is a comic book enthusiast, a comicweb writer, a lover of wearing pajamas 24/7, she is black, she is plus-size and she is autistic. She knows what she likes and if other people don’t like it, she couldn’t care less. She is very close with her twin sister and that ...more

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Mar 22, 2018 Stacie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle-unlimited

4+ "Perfect for each other." Stars!

I loved both these main characters so much! I may write a better review later because there is lots of good stuff to say, but no time right now. Happy reading!

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Apr 07, 2018 Leila bibliofagos rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: refreshing, lovely, alpha-male, badass-heroine, dirty-talking, well-written, hothothot, army, bullying, characters-w-flaws

YES.
You know how sometimes you see a book cover and you're like...shit, this is gonna be just like every other contemporary romance I've read. Well, yeah, not so much in this case.
I started this book whilst being drunk and extremely cynical (I've been having a lot of problems in my life so cynicism is my default mode) and I finished it with a huge smile on my face and hope in my heart.
From the first moment, the author captured my attention. I loved the two protagonists' voices. I loved the ...more

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Oct 21, 2018 Marija (Inside My Library Mind) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommended to Marija (Inside My Library Mind) by: Book Riot When in Romance

If you want a superbly written, diverse Romance - look no further.

I love everything about this. Our heroine is black and on the autism spectrum and she is AMAZING. I loved Ruth to bits. Evan is a sweetheart. And this book is really great at exploring abusive relationships and handles it really well. Highly, highly recommend.

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