When It's Real is an adorable summer romance perfect for the pop fangirl in your life.

I have to say at the start of the story I did feel as if the plot had a little bit of a satirical feel to it especially when it is so easy to picture Justin Beiber in the role of Oakley Ford. Not being a huge Beiber fan myself I did find myself feeling more empathetic to the real life pop star after relating him to Oakley.

Oakley is dire need of an image makeover in order for him to be taken seriously about progressing his music career. Having been in the spotlight since the tender age of fourteen has resulted in Oakley having an unusual lifestyle where he hasn't had to really take responsibility for his actions, thinking about other people or how his actions could impact others. He also has a very strained relationship with his parents and lacks clear role models in his life. False friends, media pressure, and management whose only interest is the bottom line have led Oakley to a turning point in his life as well as a block to his music.

Vaughn is very different to Oakley, putting her families needs above her own following the sudden death of her parents. Vaughn is a people pleaser without undermining her own happiness or values. A quintessential nice person, she is recruited by Oakley's production company to act as his fake girlfriend, the same production company her sister works for.

While the relationship starts as a business agreement, there is no denying that sparks fly when Oakley and Vaughn are together. More than that Vaughn's presence in Oakleys's life and the insight she provides on family life and true friendship makes Oakley take a long hard look at himself in the process.

While the feelings between Oakley and Vaughn quickly turn real there is still the shadow of the business deal hanging over them, not to mention jealous ex's, internet trolls and the exhibitionist nature of some social media.

Both Oakley and Vaughn have a lot of maturing to do through the story and it is the character development that makes When It's Real a gem of a coming-of-age story.

I have a confession to make: When It's Real is my first Erin Watt novel. *emerges from the shame corner* I’ve read books by Elle Kennedy and Jen Frederick but I have yet to dive in to author duo’s series, The Royals, partly because I was waiting for all the books to come out before starting, and partly because I don’t read many YA novels. After reading When It’s Real, though… I. NEED. MORE! This book is addictive. It’s entertaining. It’s attention-grabbing. Did I mention it’s addictive? I couldn’t get enough!

I love a good rock star romance and a fake relationship is one of my favorite tropes so I was particularly intrigued by the concept of When It’s Real. What does a bad boy teen rocker do when in need of an image overhaul? Hire a pretend girlfriend, of course. Vaughn Bennett, a down-to-earth, “normal” seventeen-year-old girl has her life turned upside down when she signs up to be girlfriend to world-famous rock star, Oakley Ford. What starts off as an emotionally-detached job, however, soon transforms into a friendship, then something more as Vaughn and Oak blur the lines between what's real and what's for show.

With their teasing, slightly antagonistic banter and ever-present undercurrent of sexual tension, it’s the relationship between Vaughn and Oakley that makes every sentence of this book so riveting. This is a romance, but it’s also a journey of self-discovery for both Vaughn and Oakley. As a reader, I loved being privy to the behind-the-scenes drama because, you know their romance is “fake” but you also experience them getting to know each other. Defenses are lowered, pretenses are dropped, and real feelings are developed. It’s messy and complicated, but also sweet, romantic, and undeniably compelling.

My advice about going in to When It’s Real? Carve out a few hours of uninterrupted reading time because this book is impossible to put down once you get started. This book might’ve been my first Erin Watt novel but it definitely won’t be my last.

*complimentary copy provided by author for an honest review

OMG you guys! The feels! Erin Watt has written a sweet story about a lonely boy and an ordinary girl that you are going to fall in love with. I adored Oakley and Vaughn! She gave him everything he never had. He showed her how to follow her dreams. Squee! Just thinking of them makes me smile! When It's Real was sooo good! I loved the connection between Oakley and Vaughn and how much they grew as a couple throughout their journey. Though it is such a completely different story, they reminded me of Kiera and Kellan from Thoughtless by S.C. Stephens! Maybe it was the whole sensitive, sexy, rock star meets an innocent, smart, girl-next-door that did it or maybe it was the undeniable chemistry between Oakley and Vaughn. Whatever the similarities, I LOVED it! The twitter feeds were super fun and original and brought a little something extra to the story. Seriously, you guys have to read this! First The Royals Series and now this? Erin Watt is definitely an I Love Story Time favorite!

♥ Review by Lys

Oakley Ford needs to get his writing mojo back. It's been two years since he released an album and he has yet to write anything he deems worthy for his fans. Because of his song-writing block, he's been drinking and getting into trouble, which the tabloids all crave for. What Oakley wants is to work with a music producer who's said to be the best, but this producer won't work with Oakley until he matures and gets his act together. Oakley's manager's plan is to find a fake girlfriend for Oakley, someone who's down-to-earth and not from the music industry. When he sees a picture of a girl on one of his employee's desk, he starts to to put this plan into action.

Vaughn Bennett's parents were killed in a car accident. From that moment, Vaughn had to grow up and help her sister take care of their twin brothers. She even graduated early from high school so she could work and help financially. When Paisley, Vaughn's sister, tells her that Oakley's manager approached her and said he wanted Vaughn to be Oakley's fake girlfriend, Vaughn is ready to say no to be Oak's GF. She's seen the way Oakley is: arrogant and a complete douche. What makes her hesitate is the fact that she will get paid $20,000 thousand a month. Vaughn knows the money is very needed to put her brothers through school and pay off debts so she agrees.

Their first meeting was exactly how I thought it'd be. They were close to hating each other. At first, Vaughn was slightly excited to meet Oakley, seeing as she used to be a fan of his. But once he opened his mouth, Vaughn could have cared less she was in the presence of the Oakley Ford. Oak can't really stand Vaughn because she says exactly what she thinks, but he's also intrigued because she's the first person to not fall all over him. Something that almost had me questioning the story was the fact that Vaughn had a boyfriend when she started "dating" Oak. But once the story went on, I realized he was there to play a part in the story for Vaughn's sake (it is explained very well). It's not a love-triangle at all, which I was beyond thankful for because the guy is a conceited jerk who doesn't even care for Vaughn.

This story gave me all the major feels! It's so freaking cute and adorable and exactly the type of light read I needed. I'm usually iffy about rock star novels but Erin Watt delivered this story perfectly. My heart was bursting with love for all of the characters and their story. I wanted more out of the story because it was so good! I'll definitely be re-reading this book. I'm telling you, it put me in such a good mood! Vaughn is probably my fave character. She was sarcastic, a spitfire, always honest, and didn't have problems sharing what she thought. She was always real with those around her, especially with Oakley. In a way, she kept him so grounded and would knock his ego down quite a few times. Go, Vaughn! Despite Oak being a rock star, he actually had standards in the sense that he wasn't a man-whore at all.You'd think he would take advantage of the opportunity of being with all the girls that throw themselves at him. But he knew better than that. He was in the music industry because he loved music, not because of the fame.

Everything about this story was fun, heart-warming, swoon-worthy, and the romance was the sweetest and cutest thing ever, yet full of all the witty banter! When It's Real is the perfect summer read!

2.5 stars

When It’s Real is the story of a girl named Vaughn who is hand picked to be the new girlfriend of Oakley Ford, a famous pop star. Oakley needs to polish up his public image, showing he can be a devoted boyfriend and not just the playboy partier everyone thinks he is. Vaughn agrees to do this because her family needs the money, her parents passed away leaving her and her sister in charge of their siblings.

At first, Vaughn and Oakley cannot stand each other. She thinks he’s rude and he thinks she’s a prude. But as time goes by a small friendship forms, and we all know where it goes from there.



I was so very sad that I didn’t like this book. I love Erin Watt, Paper Princess and Broken Prince are some of my all time favorite books EVER. And for that I’ll read anything this duo writes. But I failed to see the attraction between the two main characters in this one, to me they had zero chemistry and just sort of landed together. The book started out very strong but near the middle just slowed down. I also felt the book was too long.

Watt did a great job portraying celebrity life, all of its positives and negatives. It can make dreams come true, but at a price. I really liked how Oakley wanted to express himself differently and that he wanted another side of his story to be heard.

I think many people will love this book a lot, but it just wasn’t for me.


ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

When It’s Real is teen drama amped up. Teen heartthrob & rockstar, Oakley, needs a new image and his PR team has decided dating an ordinary girl will do the trick. When Vaughan is offered the position she only agrees for the year long fake relationship because of her family’s dire financial situation.
I really enjoyed the premise of this book because it made me think if I was a teen girl in Vaughan’s situation would I agree to this sham?! I think for the majority of teen girls they would take on the job of playing a fake girlfriend to a super hot rock star. But, as with anything in life, there are some obstacles that make their situation a little more difficult. It doesn’t help that Oakley is a major jerk when they first meet and the fact that he’s not really onboard with his PR teams idea of putting on this charade.
“Half the time when you open your mouth, you say something that makes me want to punch you. But when you sing…you make it really hard to hate you.”
An enemy-to-friends-to-lovers tale where a fake relationship turns into something real with all the whistles and bells. I had fun reading this story because I transported myself back to my teen days and thought about what it would be like to have this opportunity to be paid to pretend to be the girlfriend of a teen rock star. HELL YEA!! I would have been all over that like a bee to honey.
When It’s Real is a standalone young adult romance. Readers who love the misunderstood hero will enjoy this story. Also, readers who love when an ordinary person catches the attention of a famous person will be heaven too. If you’ve heard the hype about the author duo – Erin Watts but haven’t had a chance to read them yet … here’s your chance to try their work without committing to a series (like with their The Royals series). This author duo is top notch!
✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦
RELEASE DATE: May 30, 2017
Pre-order | order: http://amzn.to/2pRufhV
**Complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.**

Oakley needs saving. He has it all but it's all slowly unraveling.

Enter Vaughn, the fake girlfriend who his PR team are using to clean up Oakley's image and make him seem more grounded. 'Conjuring up a normal' his manager calls it. (That made me mad!!!!)

All they have to do is remember its not real.

Wow this story. I love a NA read. The writing, the story, I felt it all. What I loved most was their story wasn't rushed, there was an instant attraction and that was immediately followed by hostility which then turns to friendship and then something more...watching it all pan out was wonderful.

A fantastic must read....which must be read!

Shel: When It's Real checks off all the boxes for us and is adding to what we now know we should expect from an Erin Watt book. It has fantastically snarky dialogue, lots of great tension, and two interesting teenage characters--Oakley and Vaughn. Let's start with those two, shall we? The writing duo Erin Watt has a way of making me strongly dislike their male protagonists only to turn the tables on me and have me totally loving them. When I first "met" Oakley he was so easy to dislike--so arrogant and spoiled and frustrating--but as the novel progressed, so did Oakley. He gradually became less douchey and more vulnerable and open, even as he held on to this sort of swaggering confidence; it was this combination of alpha vulnerability that turned things around for me and a large part of that had to do with Vaughn. Vaughn was more like able than Oakley but she was not without her own flaws (as we all are); namely her weaselly boyfriend W (ugh, that guy was a loser with a capital L) and using her snark as her armor when with Oakley. As she shed her armor and allowed herself to be open and more vulnerable with Oakley, she seemed to trigger him to want to do the same. I especially liked that the writers created her to be less than confident on her next steps --I think it's great to see a main characters not have all the answers and yet are allowed the room and space to explore rather than make a hasty career/school decision. Oakley and Vaughn were a fun pairing to read.

Court: Shel did such a wonderful job of telling all of the things to like about the characters, so I'll take a moment to gush about the authors. There was absolutely so many things to like about this book, and I am still in a gigantor book hangover. Erin Watt has absolutely made all of my book dreams come true. 1) We love stories about famous people...sue us, it is an addiction. 2) We also love stories about famous people associating with normal people (desperate fantasy? Probably...lol) and 3) we love stories when the author (or in this case author(s) are so seamless in their storytelling that we cannot get enough of this book. Oakley and Vaughn's story is a very dysfunctional way to get to know each other, and I could not wait to find out what happens next. They are fun to read, and thank goodness we had dual POV. Erin Watt writes so well together, that you literally think it is the same person and I really love this dynamic. I loved them when Paper Princess came out, and now I obsessively obsess about every single thing they make a peep about in their writing world...because honestly, you should know who they are or you are missing out. I

Shel: Part of the fun was never knowing what one would say to antagonize the other; I liked how the tensions started with their first meeting and continued to simmer in the background as their feelings morphed into what we see at the end--that tension kept it interesting . The dialogue and texts and tweets weren't just what moved the plot along they enhanced the entire reading experience--there was a lot of laughing and swooning going on. Court: As I said their way of getting to know each other had me a bundle of nerves and experiencing angst and dying to know what would happen next, but at the same time hoping it would never end. I laughed out loud, I might have teared up once, and I absolutely devoured this book!

Shel: Not only were the main characters interesting, the secondary characters were too. The various conversations and situations with body guards, friends, and family members, and others helped round out Oakley and Vaughn and have me hoping that we may revisit them all in the future. I enjoyed them all so much that I'm already hoping they'll be a holiday short or a newsletter special or a cross over into the Royals so that I can see them all again--I miss them already. Court: ME TOO! Would it be productive to re-read this book until the next Erin Watt book comes out? I cannot get enough. I was wishing for more pages, and was wishing that I could slow down but the characters had me so engrossed that I could. not. stop!

Shel: Erin Watt fans--this isn't the high drama of the Royals (thank god, I barely made it out alive) and we think you're going to love When It's Real because it's not that high drama but something that is equally good and stands on its own. Court: I agree. This was a perfectly finessed book in every way. I loved every scene, and really was so glad of so much growth in each character and the plot was so well developed and the setting was one that I love so much. And I'll stop now that I am just writing in incoherent run-on sentences, but you get the gist. You will not regret giving this book a try!

The relationship between Vaughn and Oakley is a bit of a slow burn. Things take some time to heat up and for these two to actually be able to stand being around each other. It takes some time for Oakley to stop letting his immaturity get in the way. He has some trust issues and rightfully so. Poor Vaughn is caught in such the middle of a mess. One she didn't really want to be in but felt forced into to help her family situation. Putting their guard down doesn't come naturally for either of them. It doesn't help that their every move is coordinated and public. It's all very "Hollywood" - ridiculously addicting amounts of staging, scandal and drama that'll have you devouring each page!

I've been looking forward to When It's Real since I first saw that the dynamic duo behind Erin Watt was writing a new book. I loved The Royals, found myself totally and thoroughly addicted to the characters, storyline and writing, so I had pretty high expectations for this book. And you know what? They were exceeded. I got everything I loved about The Royals without all the angst and drama. (I mean, there was *some* angst and drama, but it wasn't at all like in The Royals series.)

I do love a good famous person/regular person pairing and Vaughn and Oakley were great together. They were also great characters on their own. Initially I appreciated Vaughn's willingness to do what she needed to do for her family, but I came to like her even more later on for her intelligence, sassiness and strength. She was a wonderful heroine. Oakley, on the other hand, needed some time to grow on me. (The famous ones always do.) Underneath his superstar exterior, he was a great guy. He was more vulnerable than I would've expected and I found I liked that quite a bit. I loved the relationship between these two characters. They played nicely off each other, despite their differences. They gave me feels and swoons and smiles. This fake romance turned out to be something very real, indeed.

When It's Real was a lovely, charming and swoony book. It's beautifully written and totally addictive. Even with the "fake" aspect of the storyline, it all played out realistically — at least with the regards to the romance and the characters. Books like this are why I continue to read YA contemporary. If that's your jam, definitely think about picking this one up. You won't be sorry you did.

I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

FAVORITE QUOTES

"I'm never going to believe another thing I see on the internet," I whisper.
His thumb brushes my cheek. "This isn't the internet."

"You're beautiful. Every day I'm with you is brighter and more exciting than the last. And if we ever have sex, it'll be because you want it, not because I want it or because you think it's necessary to keep me. But until you're ready, there's a ton of other stuff we can do to make you feel good."

"I know I'd be fine without you. I'd live a perfectly good life. But I don't want a perfectly good life. I want a messy, exciting, happy, sad, emotion-filled, loud life with you."

Sigh
Swoon
Awe
Squee

and any other word that would convey my absolute joy and love of this sweet story.

When It's Real is so gosh darn awesome and lovingly sweet I feel like hugging it and cuddling it. It's not starring a filthy talking alpha, but it doesn't need to.

Oakley Ford is a "slightly" egotistical pop star on the edge of where are they now news. His ridiculous antics have labeled him a nuisance to his label and he can't seem to find his sound. The one producer who could change his downward spiral won't touch the immature star.

With a Hail Mary ploy, Oakley is paired with a "normal". Enter the sassy and uncomfortable Vaughn. These two are both against the situation but seem to suck it up. Too bad things go awry from the beginning...

As I said it's sweet and just downright snuggleable- totally a word. Oakley and Vaughn make me a mushy mess, sighing in starry eyed pleasure. But then you know what it's like When It's Real...

reviewed for Sweet Spot Sisterhood

Oakley Ford and Vaughn Bennett could not be more different. At least that's what it looks like to those on the outside. And, it shocks Oakley's Fandom when he begins a relationship with Vaughn. After all, she's NORMAL, just like them. But, the fans don't know that this relationship begins as a set up. It's 100% promotion meant to clean up Oakley's bad boy image. The feelings and emotions shared by Oak and Vaughn are soon very real, but neither quite know what to do When It's Real.

The dynamic duo that is Erin Watt (Jen Frederick and Elle Kennedy) is absolutely fantastic yet again! They have delivered another story with compelling characters and an engaging storyline that will draw you in and leave you wanting more! When It's Real is more of a slow burn than the intense, fast-pace of the Royals Series by Erin Watt. But, the story is interesting and the characters possess the same wit, charm and banter that I expect from these authors.

When It's Real is billed as more of a Young Adult read. The character's ages are definitely YA, however there are a couple of steamy-ish scenes (that I loved) that would prevent me from handing it over to the 16-year-olds I know. I actually wish that the characters would have been a little older and the book skewed New Adult instead. BUT, that being said, I still loved the book.

If you're looking for a wonderful story with characters that you'll fall in love with while they fall in love with each other, When It's Real is a must one-click! I hope Erin Watt plans to write many, many, many, many more books together because I want to read them all!

An advance copy of this book was received. Receipt of this copy did not impact the content or independence of this review. BFF Book Blog also uses a set of icon ratings. This book received additional icons for: supporting characters, character development, heroine, angst and romance.

When I first read the writing duo known as Erin Watt, I was so impressed I knew I'd pick up whatever they decided to write. When I heard they were writing YA and saw the gorgeous cover for When It's Real, it went straight to the top of my TBR. This book had a little bit for all readers. Love a good YA? Rock star read? Enemies to friends to lovers? Fake girlfriend/boyfriend? How about the famous leading man/average heroine? This book had all that and more.

Oakley 'Oak' Ford is your average teen star. He became a huge hit when he was young, and now that he's an adult (barley) he wants to change his sound. He wants to be taken more seriously. The only way that is going to happen is if he shows he's serious. One way to do that? Date a nice, average girl. At least that's what his management team says. Oak is willing to do just about anything to work with the producer of his dreams so he's game.

Vaughn is not the type to date a famous guy. In fact, she's already got a boyfriend.... but when the opportunity to date Oak falls in her lap, she can't pass it up. It's too good to be true. Vaughn isn't shallow, but after her parents died years ago, her family needs the money. Vaughn and Oak butt heads at first. Their dynamic is a little... er... rocky. I loved seeing them banter and watching the sexual tension build between them.

Oakley is one of those characters that really grew on me. I'm going to be honest, I didn't love him at first. But after some time, he completely won me over. I loved that he didn't want to settle in his career. He strives for more. And I really loved watching him fall for Vaughn. He didn't want to, but it happened. And it was beautiful.

Vaughn was kind of the opposite for me. I loved her at the start, but there were moments later on I didn't care for the choices she made. She irked me... overall, I did like her as a character. She was real and I liked that she was willing to sacrifice for her family.

When It's Real is not the same type of read as The Royal's series. It didn't have that angsty, addictive quality. It was, however a fun, fast, and easy read. If you're in the mood for a mature YA standalone that is the perfect blend of light and sweet, this is one I would recommend!

Book Review
Title: When It’s Real
Author: Erin Watt
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: May 30, 2017

4 Stars

Synopsis:
From #1 New York Times bestselling author duo Erin Watt comes the addictive contemporary tale of a teen rock star in need of an image makeover and the teen girl hired to be his fake girlfriend.

Meet Oakley Ford-teen celebrity, renowned pop star, child of famous movie stars, hottie with millions of fangirls… and restless troublemaker. On the surface he has it all, but with his home life disintegrating, his music well suddenly running dry, and the tabloids having a field day over his outrageous exploits, Oakley's team decides it's time for an intervention. The result: an image overhaul, complete with a fake girlfriend meant to show the world he's settled down.

Enter seventeen-year-old Vaughn Bennett-devoted sister, part-time waitress, the definition of "normal." Under ordinary circumstances she'd never have taken this gig, but with her family strapped for cash, she doesn't have much of a choice. And for the money Oakley's team is paying her, she figures she can put up with outlandish Hollywood parties and a team of publicists watching her every move. So what if she thinks Oakley's a shallow, self-centered jerk? It's not like they're going to fall for each other in real life…right?

My Thoughts:
I will warn those that were fans of the darker Royal’s series (Paper Princess etc.) that this book is nothing like it and for that I was happy. I loved The Royal’s series don’t get me wrong, but I love it when the author’s switch it up and give us something fresh and new. That is exactly what I got with When It’s Real! I truly enjoyed every chapter and I couldn’t put it down.

This book gave me a rock star romance, slow burn, frenemies to lovers, and bad boy rocker to girl next door romance all rolled into one! The character development throughout the story was fantastic and I really loved both Oakley and Vaughn. There is a lot that goes on between these two and the supporting cast. As a reader, I enjoyed the journey of witnessing their individual transformations as well as their transformation as a couple.

I don’t want to give anything away, so you will have to read this sweet, sexy, fun and engaging read!

ARC kindly provided by the author and NetGalley for an honest review.

This book is just as addicting as the Royals!

This fantastic writing duo brings us a sweet and heartfelt story about a boy that despite being surrounded by people all the time he always feels alone and a girl that has the weight of the world in her shoulders.

Oakley is a famous singer, he is been making a name for himself for a long time but now his bad boy reputation is catching up with him and on top of that his inspiration for writing new lyrics is running low, so his "team" comes up with the brilliant idea of creating a fake relationship with a normal girl, in enters Vaughn who shares the responsibility with her sister of taking care of her little brothers. It all starts very innocently but soon real feelings start to appear and neither of them know what to do with them.

I really loved the relationship that Vaughn has with Oakley, I enjoyed getting to know them and I enjoyed reading about them getting to know each other, this is one of my favorite tropes ever so I was super happy but also presently surprised at all the ways that Erin Watt takes that trope and makes it into something so much more.

We see different family dynamics, we see how being supported by the ones you love the most can make or break you at times and also we see how hard it is sometimes to live in the now and take each and every opportunity that comes your way and how hard work really pays off.

I just felt so happy and giddy when I was reading this book, it was hard for me to stop reading and I just wanted them to be okay, by the end of the book I was freaking out thinking maybe things weren't going to go the way I wanted them but I shouldn't have worried because Erin Watt sure knows how to write an ending as impactful as the entire book.

I'm not sure if this is a standalone but I wouldn't be against reading more form these two characters or from the people that are close to them.

I am a sucker for any romance featuring a small town girl and famous guy. After seeing the synopsis for this one, I couldn't request a copy fast enough. I made the mistake of starting this book at bedtime, thinking I could sneak in a few chapters before sleeping. I remember looking at my clock around 1:00 a.m. and forcing myself to shut down the Kindle to catch a few hours of sleep. Five minutes later, I was up and reading once again. I could not put this book down. It was definitely worth the night of lost sleep, and I could not wipe the silly grin off my face. This is one of my favorite contemporary romances of the year, and I couldn't have enjoyed it more.

I adored Vaughn from the beginning. She is full of sass and determination, but she is carrying so much weight on her young shoulders. She's mature for a seventeen year old, and has an optimism that makes her endearing. I especially admire how she constantly puts Oakley his place. Their banter was some of my favorites moments of the book.

"Careful babe, or you're gonna give me a complex"
"You already have a complex. It's called egomania."

Despite the circumstances, they quickly develop an intense and slow burning relationship. I literally could not sleep wondering if these two would ever admit to their true feelings. It was the best torture and something I always long for in romance novels. It was the perfect balance of emotion and humor.

This is as real and as awful and as wonderful as it gets.

Even though the plot wasn't unique and somewhat predictable, I still loved it immensely. I think it's a testament to the amazing writing skills of these two authors. If you are looking for an entertaining and well written book, I highly recommend When It's Real! It's technically YA, but it's more along the lines of NA. I'll be suggesting this one to book friends all summer.

When It’s Real by Erin Watt
4 stars!!!

“You’re the one person in my life who wants nothing but me and it’s terrifying and awesome at the same time. Don’t ever leave me.”

I absolutely adored the Royals series which was when this writing duo first joined forces and they gave me everything that I love…especially angst and teenage drama. While When It’s Real is not on the same scale it still had all those traits that I first fell in love with. In When It’s Real we are also treated to some of my favourite tropes…rock star falls for a “normal” woman and who doesn’t love a fake girlfriend? Couple this with angst and drama and you know that you are always going to get an entertaining read and it was just that.

“There aren’t any cameras here. This isn’t for show. This is as real and as awful and as wonderful as it gets. I’d hold her forever if she’d let me.”

Oakley Ford was a child rock star, emancipated from his famous parents because they were jealous of his own success. He hit the charts in his early teens and now has plateaued. He feels his “sound” is old and he wants his new music to be a reflection of the fact that he has grown up, he wants to reinvent himself and there is only one person he wants to do it with. King, the producer he desperately covets is unwilling to work with him, he sees him as a loose cannon, unsettled and so Oak’s team come up with the “fake girlfriend” stability and settling down angle to entice him.

Vaughn is the girl next door type, extremely intelligent but her life is stifled by the situation her family finds themselves in. Vaughn is currently taking a year out to look after her little brothers as since the death of her parents, Vaughn and her sister have become both mom and dad. Their little family is in desperate need of money and it seems their answers may have come all at once.

The dynamic between Oak and Vaughn is tenuous at best, these two rut against one and other, especially once all the “advisors” get involved. Vaughn is far from superficial, she has her long-term boyfriend and her family’s best interests at heart, but when this charade gets awkward it is not long before tension is rife from both the men in her life.

“Half the time when you open your mouth, you say something that makes me want to punch you...But when you sing…you make it really hard to hate you.”

I loved how these got to know one and other first, how they naturally progressed from bitter enemies to friends and then more. Their journey felt organic rather than forced and made their relationship all the more believable. Oak was like an onion and with every layer that Vaughn managed to strip away she got to see more of the real person underneath. Misunderstood, career minded, a perfectionist but most of all…he was lonely. Fickle friendships par for the course and everyone out for what they could get…except Vaughn.

“You said that everything in your life was fake, but we’re not fake, Oak. We’re real. We’re so real.”

This does have a little angst and drama but nowhere the same level as the Royals, but the plot flowed effortlessly and this was an easy read for me. This was a book easy to escape into and one that kept the pages turning with the budding relationship between Oak and Vaughn. To see the real Oak was heart-warming and as we got to understand him more, his character only became more lovable. I would say however that this, for me, would be a more mature YA novel.

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Erin Watt releasing a YA? A standalone? About a rockstar? I think I may just combust!!! This writing duo has made my year with the Royal's series. Books like theirs are why I fell in love with reading, and when I started reading When It's Real I had the same feelings of contentment as with their other books. It was everything I love about YA, and unlike other books in this sub genre, it wasn't super angsty, and I have to confess I am not a fan of the drama llama. So this book was pretty much it for me.

Oakley Ford is a super famous teen celebrity, and Vaughn is the seventeen-year-old girl who has just been hired to clean up his image. She's the answer to all his problems no matter how much he dislikes the thought of having a fake relationship. Vaughn is desperate for the money, and isn't thrilled with having to pretend to be Oakley's anything. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and she has a perfectly good reason for doing it. They have a rocky start, actually a pretty bumpy one, but once they truly get to know one another; they both realize that this fake relationship may be the best thing that could have ever happened to them.

Oakley is your typical spoiled, and arrogant celebrity. He has a whole team of people around him, controlling his every decision. He wants to be taken seriously, and Vaughn is just a hurdle he needs to get over. He's not a bad guy, but his life isn't normal, and he's young, and his mistakes are just those lessons he needs to have to learn what the actual world is like. Vaughn lives in the real world and shows him it's ok not to be perfect, and to be who you are. She isn't ashamed of who she is, and her family is one of the only things that is important to her. Oakley's complete opposite in every way imaginable.

This story will suck you in beginning with the first page. If you love Erin Watt like me, you will be more than happy with this book. My only complaint is that this is a standalone, because I want more. These characters became important to me. I want more from them. So, yes, read this book, and do it now. You will not be disappointed.