When A Grumpy Autistic Heroine Meets A Soft Hero: A Girl Like You by Talia Hibbert

A GIRL LIKE YOU

by Talia Hibbert
Series: Ravenswood #1
Genres: Contemporary, Romance

Publisher: Self-Published

Publication Date: March 14th 2018

Source: Bought

Rating: ★★★

Amazon 

A Girl Like You was our first book club read. I was so eager that this book got selected as I had heard nothing but praise for Talia Hibbert's books in the romance community. Though I wasn't as impressed by this read as everybody else who has read this read, it has certainly got me interested in reading more from the author.

Let me begin by talking about what I enjoyed in A Girl Like You. I found the characters to be extremely well-written. In Ruth Kabbah, we have somewhat of an unconventional romance heroine and I found that to be so refreshing. She was on the autism spectrum, was cranky a lot, and liked to be left to her own devices in her apartment. Her career as a comic book artist certainly allowed her to thrive in those personality traits of hers. Ruth also was somewhat of a social pariah and had a reputation for being the town Jezebel. I found Ruth's character to be endearing even when she was acting all grumpy. You guys know how often I read books about grumpy heroes, so it was super refreshing to read about a grumpy heroine instead. When Evan, a retired soldier, enters her life as her next-door neighbor, Ruth's whole life turns upside down. Evan was another character I liked in A Girl Like You. He was such a sweet and gentlemanly guy - totally 100% a soft boy! He was patient, kind and just so compassionate with Ruth. It made my heart melt to watch him try his best to understand her and just be there for her.

The romance between the two was really sweet. Ruth is extremely reluctant to pursue any sort of romantic relationship with Evan because of how south her previous relationship went. They indulge in a friendship with Evan cooking meals for Ruth and Ruth sharing her comic books with Evan. The whole set-up was just too adorable for words and it allowed the two of them to become intimately acquainted with each other. I enjoyed watching this friendship morph into something deeper and more romantic. I will say that I wasn't always feeling the chemistry between Ruth and Evan, but I still found them to be too cute for words. As for what didn't entirely work for me in A Girl Like You, I would have to say it was the writing. There were some spots, especially in the beginning, when I found the prose to be a bit clunky and confusing. There were also a few scenes that I found to be unnecessary to the plot and those shifted my attention away from the book. Additionally, the main conflict and reveal in the book, that revolved around Ruth's past and a particularly sour relationship, also felt like they were overdramatized.

In the end, I don't regret reading A Girl Like You because even with the issues I experienced, I still enjoyed getting to know these characters and the romance put a smile on my face. I need to pick up Ruth's awesome sister's book next!

Have you read any romance books with heroines on the spectrum?
Let me know in the comments below!