Can I give this book 10 stars? Maybe even 20?
It was so so good.
And I have to give a huge thank you to Nina Bocci for sending out the ARC to this one originally. I can't tell you how much appreciate it.

So back to the book.
I honestly can't say anything bad about this one. I loved it to pieces and speed through the pages.

my only maybe one tiny complaint was the use of the name W. But it's not even a complaint. more like that name is just so ridiculous and it made me spend an obserd amount of time sniggering at the book. So I guess its a good thing really? it made me laugh after all right? hehe

But not only was the story just a warm, cute, and even funny one. It had such real believable characters. And totally made me have all the feels and warm fuzzies.
they were just plain out right funny at times. And so serious and candid at others.
And I'm such a sucker for the kinda conceded but in the joking way characters like Oakley was in this book.
the boy knows he's fine. knows he's a super star. And knows almost any girl wants him. And yes. He's conceded prick about it sometimes. But he also had a way of being lighthearted and fun about all that too. especially towards Voughn when he wasn't being a total tool bag.

And I liked that both of them actually were such complex characters. we got so many different sides. So many doffrent insecurities that teens their age go through. (heck I'll be 24 in 2 weeks and I still feel the way the 2 of them did at times in the book)
But that's going back to what I said about these characters being believable. I could easily picture these two popping up in my newsfeed any time with their story like it was some actual Hollywood romance.
But also o could see it being something that could happen to a friend.
And not the oh dating a superstar singer thing either.
the... I don't know what I want out of my life at only 17 years old. And the fear that people will only be your friend to use you for things (because it doesn't just happen to millionaire rockstars)
Or just everyday dealing with a broken family or a huge Los in your life. these are the things that normal every day people go though. And it's kinda refreshing to see a book dealing with it. Yes it still has that HEA we all wish we could get in real life. But i think books like this are food. especially for a 16-25 demographic. It shows you that theirs hope. And that's all we really need these days.
A book that can spin such a fun and adorable fictional story. But that styill reaches out to us and gives us a sense of hope that we can use later in life.

And let me just say. Its not just Voughn and Oakley's characters that make this so good either. Its Voughn's siblings, and Oakleys body guards. and even his mother, who just wrap the whole thing together and give it depth.

It's the spark of a new romance. the crushing of past heartache. the realization of something that you think is good and happy that can really be holding you back. Its all those things and more.

And just a good wholesome happy story. That will have you laughing, and ready to reach through the book at times and smack a character or two.
But also makes you smile and wince. And close the book at the last page with this pure happiness and satisfaction that only comes with the ending of a truly amazing book.

So if you had your doubts (not sure how you could though)
I loved this book. And I wholeheartedly give WHEN IT'S REAL *****5 STARS*****

The newish duo of Erin Watt never ceases to amaze me with the stories they spin. And while this is categorized as a YA book because of the ages of the characters, I'd definitely rate this as more of an NA due to the very mature content.

What teen girl doesn't dream of meeting a celebrity hottie and having them fall head over heels for them? That's exactly what happens when Vaughn and Oakley's worlds' collide. And while this is a storyline that has been done time and time again, Watt's fresh, new take is what kept me turning the pages.

I am always eagerly anticipating these authors' books, When It's Real just made me love them even more. If you're into books with massive amounts of angst, this is the one for you. I can't wait to see what is in store next.

~ A Hopeless Romantic's Booklandia, 4.5 Stars

I just loved this book!! I don't think I've ever read this author but she is at the top of the list now! Emotional, gripping, heartbreaking, and hope for humanity all rolled up into this amazing book!!!! A must read for everyone!!

Confession Time: I am an Erin Watt virgin. I have yet to read the Royals Trilogy from this duo; and while it’s on my TBR, I still have to get to them!

*Don’t kill me please*

Another honest truth, I rarely read contemporary YA, not because there is anything wrong with the genre; I just seem to have grown out of that phase – but I honestly couldn’t resist the opportunity to read an early copy from a duo who seems like a drug to most of her fans ;)

This enemies to “fake” lovers romance between an American Hearthrob and an ordinary girl, seems like trope already well used, but believe me, this is a trope that is well done by a new “look out” author(s)!

Oakley Ford is the American heartthrob, a pop star who is in love with music, but is somehow not able to capture the magic again for the last two years. And it has him on a downward spiral, a spiral that has been oh-so beautifully captured by the paparazzi. And while he is still in tune with his ambition of working with one of the industry’s most sought after producer’s; who he knows won’t touch him with a ten-foot pole, because he isn’t serious enough about music.

This leads his manager to take control of his life, by doing what any management team would do – bring in a good girlfriend to clean up his image!

In walks Vaughn Bennett, a girl who has been in another type of rough patch lately; she lost her parents two years before and graduated a year early to help raise her twin brothers with her elder sister. While she was a Oakly Ford fan, she has grown out of that phase and is bewildered when she is approached by his team to act like his girlfriend for a year. She is hesitant, but the monetary compensation would help out her family, and that answer, therefore, is a no – brainer.

Their first meeting isn’t the stiff of fantasies but more of a nightmare – while Vaughn finds Oakley to be a conceited and narcissistic little jerk, he on the other finds her to be a little spitfire, but mostly mouthy!

There’s no instant attraction or even insta-lust between these two – they work hard, at first to project the very picture of an ideal fairytale romance to the public, but then slowly start to learn about each other. Theres’ is an attraction that is slowly born of knowledge and understanding about each other and for a YA romance, it was absolutely brilliantly done!

Erin Watt fans have something amazing to look forward to with this one and I have a new author to put on a list that is slowly but surely growing! <3

It took me 50% in for me to really get into this, and I did finish. It just didn't appeal to me as much as the blurb. I couldn't really connect with the characters and it was almost too much childish bickering between H and h even though they were late teens early 20's. I appreciate the opportunity and I loved all of the Heir series, but this just wasn't the book for me. I will still continue to read/try Erin Watts work. I enjoy both of their works also as separate authors.

I really enjoy Erin's writing. When its Real was a good read.

Holy sizzle. I have no idea where to even start this review. SERIOUSLY!!! Right from the jump, it was just different. Vaughn is a no nonsense type of chick who is a working to help her older sister raise their younger brothers. Their parents died and they have struggled to keep a normal life for them all. Vaughn is offered a hell of a lot of money for a once in a lifetime opportunity. All she has to do is pretend to date, Oakley Ford.

Oakley Ford is a popular teen pop star who wants to be taken seriously. (He reminded me a lot of J. Biebs -as far as being young when he broke through the music scene, then growing up and wanting to be taken seriously.) Fortunately, I loved Oak way more than Bieber. What I liked about him was that he was just straight forward. He knew he wanted to be taken seriously, he knew what direction he wanted his music to go. He also knew that in order for the one guy that could help him with this -a well-known producer- who would only work with him IF he knew Oak was serious. Enter Vaughn, Oak's publicity team think this would be a good pairing to help him change his image. While on paper all this sounded great one problem is Vaughn has a boyfriend.

I wasn't sure they would be able to pull this off especially because of Vaughn's boyfriend. I really did not like that guy. He did not appreciate her and the more I read the more I loved the idea of Vaughn and Oakley together. I flew through this book because I had to know what would happen next. And man those twitter exchanges from his fans could be brutal. Reminds me of the 1D fandom 😂🤣😂🤣

Overall I enjoyed this book and the writing. It seems I can never go wrong reading anything from Erin Watt. They make it seem effortless when telling a story and I loved this one. Definitely one of my top reads for this year!!

**ARC provided by the publisher in return for an honest review**

This story was absolutely adorable! There are not a lot of Romantic Comedies that I will rave about, because it's not really my jam, but I am raving about this one! I've never laughed so hard. I'm a sucker for cute awkward moments that make you feel all swoony inside, and this book has a TON of those! The characters are loveable, the situations are believable, and some angst makes its way in. This is not my first book by this author, she is an amazing storyteller, and easily one of my favorites. This is a fake relationship to real relationship type of story, and I highly recommended it. There are no triggers, and it's clean enough that I would say it would be ok for preteens and up. I love this story so much that I'm already planning on buying multiple copies for gifts. READ THIS BOOK!!

Erin Watt does it again!!! I adored this story and these characters. Vaughn and Oakley were perfect. I loved how the antagonism these two had for each other slowly developed into a friendship which turned into so much more. Both of them were in desperate need of someone to see them. Not an extension of their families or the people they hang out with.

Neither Vaughn or Oakley was without blame for the direction their relationship went, but they both grew up over the course of this book and figured out a real relationship took compromise and conversations. Despite several adults standing in their way, these two figured out how to make what started out as a farce into something that was real and worth fighting for.

The perfect beach read and an absolute joy to have experience.

I love Erin Watt's books and this one wasn't the exception.

The story begins with Vaughn receiving a bizarre job proposition: starting a fake relashioship with the famous and hot singer Oakley Ford. She needs the money, he needs to clean his public image. They both can benefit from this agreement... if they can tolerate each other.

I really liked the main characters. Their personalities, each one struggling for what is important, the family or the music in each case. I loved how they grew up through the story, leaving such a beautiful message.

Vaughn bothered me a little sometimes and Oakley is a bit douche at first, but she started to trust and stop fearing life, while Oak was getting more and more sweet. He's too adorable and beautiful, he's a very complex character. I loved him so much so of course he was my favorite.

There are many characters in this book and that made it more complete. I hated some of them but I loved a lot of them too. Though there is no doubt that I loved this book.

I really liked the topics in this story such as the music, that is something that I love in books, and also art with which I can feel identified.

But also deeper issues such as bullying on social media, family dysfunctionality, what is important in life and knowing yourself.

The plot is special and entertaining, so completely addictive that I couldn't stop reading. It was so unique, even in the construction of the text. Using resources from social networks and online news, it added an additional layer of complexity to the story, provided another element that made the book more modern, and it was really good done.

The romance develops slowly and I liked that very much. There were a lot of sweet and beautiful moments that left me sighing. A really gorgeous story that I adored from beginning to end.

And it's full of fun moments. Some parts were hilarious, this book made me laugh so many times. It has also made me suffer a lot, feel that anguish in the chest but the kind that makes the book more enjoyable. There is a lot of drama too and conflictive situations that generated tension in the story, with an epic ending, full of exciting and beautiful moments.

I loved his book too much and it exceeded my expectations. I even made a fan art because I loved this story so much. It has become one of my favorite books.

Oh why did I wait so long to meet the dynamic duo of Erin Watt?!? There is no greater book high than meeting an author's work for the first time. I finally popped my Erin Watt book cherry and what a detonation it was!!! Erin Watt wrote a musical masterpiece of a star-studded story. When It's Real is a hypnotizing and heart-pounding romance that rendered me STAR STRUCK!!!

I could not devour this story fast enough. When It's Real CONSUMED ME. I was drawn to every word and glued to every page...ALL IN. I did not want to put this SPELLBINDING story down.



A boy wonder of a rock star hasn't had a hit in two years and he is in dire need of an image makeover. A beautiful but wholesome girl is in need of money to help her struggling family. Enter a fake relationship that may get very real.

These strong and soulful characters CAPTIVATED ME from beginning to end. So INTENSE and INCREDIBLE, Oakley held my heart from the start. I was head over heels in LOVE with this broken boy with a big heart. This rock star OWNED ME. When It's Real OWNED ME.

"You want me, Vaughn. Just admit it."


Oak and Vaughn are PURE MAGIC together with undeniable chemistry and compatibility. Vaughn doesn't want to want to cocky yet caring Oak but he is a drug she can't resist. These two wounded souls with two broken hearts long to be whole.

My entire body lit up—like I'd been dark my whole life and someone just plugged me in.


These words PENETRATED ME, piercing straight to my heart.

This is as real and as awful and as wonderful as it gets. I'd hold her forever if she'd let me.


Oak MELTED ME where I fell for him even harder.

I LOVED this love story so much!!! When It's Real is a HEARTFELT harmony and MELT-WORTHY melody that is MAGICAL. The writing is FLAWLESS, a fierce fusion of emotions and words, where I experienced everything. When It's Real IS EVERYTHING.

When It's Real is not just a young adult sensation and love story about a rock star and his image makeover in the form of a beautiful girl...it's SO MUCH MORE. It's about a bond formed from two broken hearts. It's slaying your demons. It's about growing up. It's about discovering your potential.

This rocker romance has all of the HEART, all of the SOUL and all of the SWOON.When It's Real is an EXPLOSION of FEELS that I felt everywhere. I was ENAMORED with this emotionally-charged love story!!! When It's Real is THE REAL DEAL.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Star-Struck Stars

Erin Watt does it again! This novel is so great because it's something that could possibly happen. I love that Watt writes storylines in the modern world in which you can so easily insert yourself.. The characters this time around are complex, of course, and easily relatable. I loved that Oakley wasn't who you'd expect and that Vaughn doesn't let him get away with being a prick. They're so fab xx

I really didn't care for the author's Royal series, so when I saw the blurb for this book, I figure this book would be for me. Fake relationships that turn real is one of my favorite tropes out there. I thought I was going to love this book, but sadly I didn't. The first few chapters were good, but then it started getting boring and it took me forever to finish this book, which I thought was going to be a quick read.

Oakley and Vaughn was bland for my taste and they really didn't have chemistry at all. I would of much preferred them if they were background characters instead of the main character. Maybe then I would actually care for them.

I loved this book. It was sweet, emotional, and full of heart and humor. It gave me the warm and fuzzies but I wanted a bit more from the relationship. I didn't connect with them as a couple as much as I wanted. I wish I was given more dates between the two of them, not just being told about them as a past effort or fade to black kind of thing. Overall though, it was a great story and I LOVE this dynamic writing duo!

Oh how I adored this book. I seriously didn't want it to end, I tried to read the last few chapters slowly but I just couldn't put it down at all and now have closed the last page. Sigh!

I just fell in love with Vaughn and Oak they were just adorable. This story brought out my emotions, I laughed, got teary, fell in love, a few characters brought out the anger in me and of course the tingles, gotta love getting those tingles.

I just loved this book and I highly recommend reading it!

I loved it so much I made a video review with all of my thoughts!

Reviewer: Michelle
Rating: 5 stars
Paisley has exciting news for her sister, Vaughn, Oakley Fords manager saw her picture in Paisleys office and wants Vaughn to become Oakley new pretend girlfriend. He needs to change his image, to get the public back on board with him and his music, to not think all his is is the pretty party boy that they seem to think he is now. He needs a 'wholesome' relationship with an ordinary girl. But Vaughn isn't exactly on board with this, although they will be paying her good money.

*** “Look, if you’re serious, the answer is still no. In fact, there are so many reasons for me to say no that I don’t know if we have time for me to list them all. But here’s one—I don’t even like Oakley Ford.”
“You played his album on repeat for, like, three months.” “When I was fifteen!” Oakley Ford was a phase. Like BFF necklaces and Hannah Montana. Plus, his antics got really unappealing. After the tenth or so picture of him making out with some random girl at a club, he got kind of slimy in my eyes.

Vaughn knows they could really use the money, to help her family out since Paisley has been working so hard to support them. And it's o lay for a year, it doesn't matter she has a boyfriend, he will understand, right?

Right off the bat, I was drawn into this story. It was what I was expecting at all! Yes, Oakley is a spoiled rich boy with an attitude and thinks every girl should think she's the luckiest girl in the world to even be in his presence. And yes, Vaughn is a sweet girl who doesn't care what others think of her and no matter how they try to change her image, she will still wear her ripped jeans and shoes that are more comfortable then stylish. They wanted a sweet, wholesome, ordinary girl after all.

The more you get a glimpse into Oakley life, you see there is more to him than just being the rich son of two famous movie stars. He has real talent, and he really is sweet and cares for those that are his true friends. Always being in the spotlight, it's hard to know who exactly is your true friends.

The more time Vaughn spends with him, on her 'required' dates, the more she sees past his arrogance facade and the true artist that his is.

The story drew me in, kept me hostage as I turned the pages, with anticipation on wether Oak and Vaughn would be able to overcome all the obstacles in their way.

The characters are very well written. Vaughn is my favorite, she is sweet and sassy! Just the way I love my heroine! And I love her siblings, I really hope we get a story about Paisley! Oak really redeems himself in the story and I became a huge fan once we saw his true self! I really loved how they corresponded a lot via twitter. Some of the tweets had me cracking up!

I have been a big fan of this duo since I read their Royals series and this one did not disappoint! If you like reading about a rockstar and a sweet hometown girl, this is for you!


REVIEWER: LAURA
RATING: 5 STARS
Such an entertaining read! I loved this book from the start to the finish. I could hardly put it down! There were lots of twists and surprises in the book, which kept it super exciting! Vaughn seemed like a very respectable and down to earth girl. Her tragic loss kept her holding on to someone who was no good for her. Oakley Ford was missing something he never realized he needed. I loved reading about their story and their coming together. There's even a little extra romance from an additional couple!! This gave me a believable perspective of someone who lived that Hollywood lifestyle. Never before did I even contemplate the things that go on when you're famous, but this book seemed like it could really be true! This will be one book I'll definitely read again!

REVIEWER: CATHY
RATING: 4 STARS
It took me a few chapters to really get into this book but once I didn't want to put it down. I love the authors writing style. Oakley and Vaughn seem like they will never survive their year together. But the evolution of their relationship is charming and feels realistic. Oakley changes so much throughout the story and reveals the real guy underneath. I love the time they spend with his mom and Vaughn's family. I was actually sad when this came to an end and could totally do with more books about Vaughn and Oakley (but this does have a true ending so don't be worried.)

Reviewed by Sharon Thérèse & Rachel

“I want wild.”
“Then you’ll get it.”

The title couldn’t have been more apt and if you like sparkly star-shaped reads as the outstanding cover implies, don’t think twice about one-clicking this young adult novel. Jen Fredrick and Elle Kennedy teamed up to write the highly successful series, The Royals under the pseudonym, Erin Watt. Now Erin’s back in full force with her first standalone aimed at teens who love to swoon over bad boy rock stars. We have to admit that it took some getting into, but was it worth insisting? Yes, no doubt about it! In fact, we’d even go as far as saying our teenagers are going to love it and don’t panic, the beautifully written steaminess is what they’d expect and want at this age. Although the storyline isn’t new, the author’s managed to spin a tale and make her variation of rich boy, poor girl truly original.

“I can’t believe my girlfriend is such a prude.”
‘I can’t believe my boyfriend is such a douche!’

The message brought home is loud and clear. Life isn’t fair and at times in all its unfairness, you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do. The heroine needs a bit of cajoling to take part in a project of sorts which would benefit everyone close to her. All said and done, she thought her life was more or less on the right path after suffering a loss and who needs to complicate it any further! Also, she’d be doing the male protagonist, Oakley Ford, a huge favour. Not that we thought he deserved it, yet other folks in his entourage had this crazy idea that it was necessary to help his image. Now then, it’s not often that we say how irate we get with a character but honestly, Oakley brought out the worst in us with such an ease, it was ridiculous. In fact, later on in the read we wouldn’t even give ourselves credit—we actually started liking the guy and we didn’t want to! He’s by no means easy to get on with. His personality traits have been developed so damn well we wondered if the author has had first-hand experience with lads of this age. Man, maybe not an egocentric rock star but we certainly thought Watt had hit his quirks on the nail. What we did like a lot was the contrast between the gal who’d eventually make the spoilt boy see that not everything revolves around him. Neither of them like each other or keen on the idea of spending time together, but it is what it is and they’re going to have to make the most of it.

“Okay, Mr. I-Name-All-My-Albums-After-Me Ford.”

We’d put Vaughn in the girl next door category. We couldn’t find fault with this unpretentious lass who’s between a rock and a hard place. She’s got simple tastes to go with her simple life now full of complications. Her way of handling moral issues, worrying about what she was doing and what people thought of her, everything she did and everything about her we found just so plain sweet that she warmed our hearts. She made us smile and cry a few tears and her reaction to the first kisses! Yep, she kissed the boy! Or rather he kissed her. To say we enjoyed watching their relationship flower would be an understatement.

“It was not just a kiss. You’re supposed to be the good girl. Not the girl gone bad!”

What has to be mentioned is how well the banter comes across. Flowing nonstop, it brought home to one of us how out of touch she is with teen slang. And the tweets! The formatting is the best we’ve ever seen in a book; it’s easy to follow and made us realise just how much the internet and its contents affect young people. The insight we were given in the music business was a real treat, too. It’s clear to see that the author has done her homework in that respect. Oakley and Vaughn’s story is told in past tense from a HIM and HER perspective which helped us readers engage in their thoughts, their doubts and their triumphs. It’s most certainly worthy of reading. Bravo Ms Watt!

“I’m never going to believe another thing I see on the internet,”

Holy lord! I loved this book! Different from the Royals, but Vaughn and Oakley will destroy you nonetheless. I loved the vulnerability both characters had as well as the growth of both of them throughout the course of the book. I truly never wanted this book to end. There was drama and laughter as well as real touching moments. This book was perfect in every way. I love these two, and somehow everything they write is gold! Run, don't walk, and grab yourselves a copy of this book, you won't be disappointed!