A review by yourbookishbff
Talk Sweetly to Me by Courtney Milan

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This novella is the final installment in The Brothers Sinister series, and I was so sad to see it end. This is a perfectly sweet happily ever after for Stephen O'Shaugnessy, a side character introduced in The Suffragette Scandal. It's a tender and well-built story (particularly for its sub-100 page count) that feels so swoony. It centers a Black mathematician ("computer") as our female main character and an Irish Catholic satirist as our male main character. Milan, as always, deftly navigates racism, classism and power imbalance with nuance and respect for her characters, and I fully rooted for this couple's happily ever after. A delightful sub-plot that astronomy lovers will love, and a perfect little epilogue.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Sexual content, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Pregnancy

For detailed notes about on-page childbirth:

Please note that there is on-page, high-risk childbirth and significant focus on medical racism - this pertains to the main character's sister. The baby is born healthy and the mother survives, but readers should be aware that childbirth is the pivotal moment in the story's conclusion.