3.5 STARS!
This was a fun read. I LOVED the Royals series and knowing that this was YA, I didn't really go in expecting anything. I don't read a ton of YA and sometimes when I do, I find that the books are not YA at all. Thankfully this was not the case for When It's Real.
When It's Real was a fun, sweet read that touched upon things that the YA crowd go through—social media, dating, ex's, crushing on celebrities, heartache and making up.
When It's Real is the story of 19 year old pop star Oakley Ford. Oakley became a teen star at an early age, rising to the top with his music to then hit a plateau, struggling with his image and his song writing.
To reinvent himself, his publicity recommends that he date a "normal, every day girl" and enter 17 year old Vaughn Bennett. Vaughn has an older sister who works at Oakley's publicity company and also has two young teen brothers. The Bennett siblings lost their parents a few years past and are struggling to make ends meet and what better way to earn money than to date a pop star and have a fake relationship.
The push and pull between Vaughn and Oak started from the get go. Readers will watch as Oak is brought down a notch or two on his high ladder while seeing how Vaughn will live this life with a hottie pop star she can't resist (oh and did I mention that she has a real boyfriend waiting in the wings!) OMG!
I loved the bantering between these characters, the character growth as the story progresses and watching things as they get real for Vaughn and Oak. I really liked the supporting secondary characters especially the siblings and the bodyguards.
Things with Oak's family and social circle made me sad so it made me happy that he could find some sense of normalcy with Vaughn and her friends and siblings.
Like I said this is a cute read but nothing like the super angsty with the OMG moments Royals series. I liked this book but didn't completely love it. The writing is still spot on but it was missing something for me to completely love it. Maybe if we had a look into Oak's song lyrics that would have elevated the rating for me... I just wanted that something more if that makes sense.
There is one thing that Vaughn did that I absolutely HATED... I can't tell you what it is but when you get to it, you will know what I am talking about.
Overall I enjoy this writing duo's stories and look forward to more from them.

Oakley Ford may be one of the most famous singers in the world, but he's also one of the most infamous singers. He's got a major image problem and that is getting in the way of him working on his next album with one of the best producers in the biz.

Vaughn is the ultimate good girl who finished school early in order to get a job to help out her sister after their parents died. She's got a boyfriend and a very clean reputation.

She's perfect.

Oakley's PR team selects Vaughn to be his fake girlfriend for a year (and $20k a month) in order to help his image and her family.

Vaughn's current BF is willing to go along at the beginning, but it's tense.

Things start getting more and more confusing as Vaughn sees more in Oakley than a spoiled brat and Oakley starts seeing Vaughn as more than just a snotty prude.

Final thoughts: Eh. This is a combination YA/NA book, so it may not be appropriate for everyone. This new trend of girls dating/fake dating/not knowing their social media dating celebrities is already getting tired and cliche. This book did move along at a decent pace, but the end was strangely rushed and felt a little empty. There is also an obvious story line left for a possible sequel, but it's not a cliffhanger or anything. Vaughn's BF was a jerk from the first moment and there was absolutely no chemistry there, so it's very difficult to believe that they were together for 2 years. And that final conflict was ridiculous. But if you can suspend reality on those things, you may enjoy this. If nothing else, it's cotton candy for the mind.

Rating: 3/5

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

When It's Real by Erin Watt is a much anticipated standalone rock romance. Following on from the success of The Royal Series, I was really looking forward to reading something different and this certainly did not disappoint!

Oak is a God of a rock star and he has been releasing records since he was fourteen, however for the past two years he's been musically blocked. His manager and PR team thought up a plan to help him move forward in his career. The plan? Find a "normal" girlfriend for Oak.

Vaugh's family has financial issues and she somehow got noticed by Oak's team and they picked her to be that girlfriend. She was reluctant to do so but she only gave in because a lot of money's involved. She's not at all impressed by Oak and wondered how she can pretend to be with him for a full year!

Quite predictably, Oak and Vaugh started off quite hostile toward each other but gradually over time things started to change. I loved reading about their romance and how they influence each other. It was a pretty sweet read with some slightly steamy and hot scenes (though not as hot or steamy as the Royal Series).

Thoroughly enjoyed reading When It's Real and I hope Erin Watt will have more books similar to this in the future!

4.5 Hollywood Stars

I am a huge fan of this book! Oakley Ford and Vaughn Bennett were charming, humorous and have great chemistry. When It's Real is all about the truth, gossip and fake news of Hollywood couples!

Oakley Ford is a famous pop star. He's the typical teen dreamboat, but his wild antics is causing his image to take a hit. And also, he's uninspired to write new music and it's going to cause him to fade away in Hollywood. So what does a PR team need to do to get their client back into the spotlight? Tone his bad boy image down by having him date a "normal," non-celebrity teen girl! Sounds easy, right? Only if they picked a "yes sir/mam" kind of girl. And Vaughn Bennett is far from that girl!

Vaughn Bennett is a bright, hard-working seventeen year-old girl. Her and her siblings have gone through a lot and signing a contract to "date" one of the biggest Hollywood stars might sound like an easy pay-out, right? All she has to do is fake a relationship for a year and move-on. But it's not that easy. One reason, Oakley Ford is a cocky, entitled jerk. Their first meet didn't go well and dealing with all his reps has Vaughn feeling out of control.

But you know the saying, opposites attract and eventually this fake relationship might just get real for the both of them. I loved the banter between Oak and Vaughn throughout this book. They both are from different worlds, but they a perfect match. When It's Real is a great read.

Bad Boy meets Good Girl.
Bad Boy pays Good Girl to be Girlfriend.
Girlfriend already has Boyfriend.
Drama Ensues.

When It's Real is a wonderful book about how not everything is as it seems.

Vaughn can't stand Oakley from the very beginning. Which, who can blame her when he's kind of self centered.

But as the story moves along you not only see him changing, but you see her change as well.

They both become more true to themselves. More, Real. This book is about not letting anyone stand in the way of who you are, or what you want.

I love everything Erin Watt writes, and this book was no different. It had me hooked from the very beginning.

I love seeing characters develop and evolve as the story progresses. This story really hit the nail on the head. It's not just about romance and being together. It's also about family and life in general.



Can't wait to read the next book written by Erin Watt.

This book was so much fun to read. It was exactly what I needed and Oakley and Vaughan were a treat to read!

Oakley Ford’s lifestyle is catching up to him while he hasn’t been productive for a few years. If he remains like that, his singing career will do down the drain. To avoid this situation, his PR team comes up with a plan of fake girlfriend to reverse his party image and that’s where Vaughn Bennett comes in. But when fake starts feeling like real, it’s up to Oakley and Vaughan to decide if they should give themselves a chance at something real.

I’m not going to lie, the plot was predictable but I fell in love with the characters and due to which I enjoyed this book so much more. The fake girlfriend trope is something that I quite love and it was executed perfectly in this book. Oakley hasn’t been able to produce new music in two years and if he doesn’t do anything soon, he’ll soon have to say goodbye to the music industry and on top of that his wild lifestyle doesn’t help his image at all. Not only Oakley but Vaughn is in for a shock when they come to know about the PR team’s plan for the fake girlfriend. I liked Vaughn from the start, she was a simple girl trying to help her family as much as possible after her parent’s death which left them in a crap load of debt and when she learns about the money that she’ll get, she reluctantly agrees to play her part to help her sister out.

It was pretty much hate at first sight for them. And their continuous banter was hilarious. Both of their lifestyles were completely opposite to each other and inevitably when they met, they clashed. I wasn’t a fan of Oakley at first, but slowly he warmed up to my heart as did Vaughn’s. The romance was slowly build up and I really loved the chemistry between them.

Oakley was a party animal and indeed he had some issues but with Vaughn, he was finally able to open up about them. With her, he didn’t have to be the rock star, he could just be Oakley which was something I really loved. Also, it was not that much but I did enjoy the family aspect of this book. I was enraged when the thing with the PR happened but I was glad how Vaughn finally fought for herself and snatched her happy ending in the end.

Overall, When It’s Real was a great read. The plot was executed neatly and I loved the character development throughout the book. I loved Oakley and Vaughan together so much! The writing was beautiful and the pace was even throughout the book. I sooo can’t wait to read more by Erin Watt.

Recommend it?

Yes!

Well to be honest with you with just having the name Erin Watt I knew I wanted to read it, but after that description I wanted to read it even more.

I was not disappointed of how amazing I thought it was going to be!!

From the moment I first opened the file, I was very impressed by just the way it started, so When It’s Real got 4.5 stars out of 5 in my rating book.

You might be wondering, why 4.5 instead of 5 if I loved it so much?

Well I’ll explain in a bit, but first, why I loved it so much.

Everything about the story was good, from the way the situation was created to how it all fell into place. Okay I’ll explain a little better, from the moment you read why Oakley needed a fake girlfriend you knew what was going to happen, the fake, would become real, and it had to be proven that it was real, you know what I mean?

I don’t want to give too much away because I don’t want to spoil it for you. Like I said, even though I already had a good idea of how this story was going to end, there was no chapter or paragraph that I found boring, which has happened a lot lately for me. I have found myself skipping through chapters, and just kind of reading, but When It’s Real brought real reading back for me.

I can’t say I hated anything about this story, but I did give it a 4.5 just because it was something that I already knew the ending to. I didn’t know exactly with which words it was going to end or anything like that, but I knew the general direction of where the story was heading. Still that didn’t stop me from enjoying the road to getting there.

Oakley was a funny character that I wish could be real and Vaughn kept him grounded and showed that not because he was a big time star it meant that he could have whatever he wanted whenever he wanted it.

The interaction between both main characters was great and even though they are both teenagers, they have gone through some rough situations in very different ways, but that helped them be mature for their age and that is what I liked the most.

I have often read young adult books where the main couple are not even out of high school and they swear their love is forever and that they will forever be together. While in high school we might feel that way, but not very many people are lucky enough to end up with their high school sweetheart. That cliche has bother me for sometime lately because is very not realistic, still I have to remind myself that it’s just a fictional story and that it is not real.

But with When It’s Real I felt like it could really be real, you know? It can be real for the moment.

The way Oak and Vaughn feel for one another in the story can be long lasting, not forever, but for a short forever (you know what I mean?). The story felt real for the situation of the characters and that is all I’m asking for as a reader. Something that is relatable, something that doesn’t completely seem too out there that stops being contemporary and seems more like far away fantasy.

All in all this book was complete, it had funny moments, serious moments, moments that made me want to shed a tear and it was told in dual point of view which lately it’s kind of my favorite thing.

I would completely recommend When It’s Real because it was a real pleasure to read it.

4☆
I enjoyed the set up to Oak and Vaughn's relationship. She is an average girl who is trying to help take care of her family and he is a famous pop star with a bad reputation. Learning about Oak reminded me of when we meet the Royal guys in Paper Princess. On the surface he is a jerk, but there is more to him than that. I liked them and rooted for them when all the 'Hollywood' stuff got in the way. I thought they were really cute and I loved her family and his bodyguards. It was a cute story!

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

4.5 ‘guilty pleasure’ stars

This is a sweet, smart, mature YA read with well-developed, loveable characters, great banter, sizzling chemistry, and a gorgeous romance. It’s a fake relationship between a hot pop star and a ‘normal’ girl, and it’s gorgeously romantic, low angst and deliciously feel-good. I loved it.

Oakley Ford is the son of two Hollywood superstars, and a hugely successful pop star. He’s been in the business since he was 15 years old and is now only 19, but he already has a reputation as a wild party boy. He’s desperate to break free from the type of music he’s known for and explore his developing ‘grown up’ style, but he’s experiencing a writing block, and the producer he’s desperate to work with won’t touch him. He needs an image overhaul, and his Manager and Publicist have an idea for him to date a ‘normal’ girl to get him back in the public eye and show that he is settling down.

Vaughn Bennett is a 17 year girl wish way too much responsibility on her shoulders. After her parents were killed in a car accident, she and her older sister have worked hard to make ends meet and support themselves and their two younger brothers. But she is the girl-next-door that Oakley’s publicists are looking for so when the offer of a lifetime is presented to her, she warily agrees to pose as his girlfriend for 12 months for money that will save her family. But she has no idea what she’s in for.

Oakley is a bit of a jerk. He’s arrogant, entitled, and he doesn’t know what to make of Vaughn. She is the complete opposite of everything that he is used to - people normally fall all over themselves wanting to be close to him and make him happy, but Vaughn doesn’t seem impressed by his celebrity or his sexy good looks that usually bring women to their knees. Vaughn is strong and sassy, and though she’s feeling a bit lost in her life, she is determined not to let Oakley walk all over her. Her part of their arrangement is complicated by the fact that she already has a boyfriend, but she wants to help her family, so she goes along with all of the arrangements, not realising that she is about to turn Oakley’s whole world upside down.


“The good ones put your character to the flame and burn away all the rest of the shit until you come out a better you. She’s one of the good ones.”


Their relationship is completely planned – from the ‘meet cute’ to the social media interactions, private dates, public dates, and pre-planned levels of intimacy. But what happens when they both start to feel so much more for each other than they ever anticipated?


I wrap my arms around her shoulders. She snuggles into my side and I swear, my damn heart flips over because I want her to be my girl. For real.


This is such a beautiful love story. It’s realistically paced, and I could feel the emotion as things begin to shift between them from snarky banter to tentative flirting and so much more. It’s sweet, exciting and just gorgeous, and I fell right along with them.


“I’m confused right now.” I rub my sweaty palms on my knees.
Oak drags his index finger along my lower lip. “I know, baby. And scared?” I give a small nod. “I’m scared too. But let’s work this out together. Let’s see where it goes. We don’t need labels or words. We just need to be together.”


I loved how the deeper, ‘real’ parts of Oak were explored. This book is a true journey for him as he examines his life, opens up to Vaughn and figures out who he truly is, and I love how willing he was to embrace all that Vaughn had to offer.


“You’re the one person in my life who wants nothing but me and it’s terrifying and awesome at the same time.”


I loved the strong family themes, the way that the public vs private lifestyles were portrayed and the strong musical influence. And I really enjoyed the secondary romance that was glimpsed throughout the book. The drama is minimal and there is very little angst, but Oak and Vaughn’s story and their gorgeous romance kept me captivated from start to finish, and I finished this book with a huge grin on my face.

A true guilty pleasure read. I loved it. 4.5 stars.

Was eine zuckersüße und zarte Liebesgeschichte.
Es ist wie Urlaub, Sommer, Strand, Sonne, Cocktails, Windbriese, Lagerfeuer und chillige Musik.
Von welchem Buch ich rede? Von Erin Watts neustem Band "When it's real", welches auf englisch am 30. Mai erscheint. Ich hatte ein ARC erhalten und durfte es somit vorab lesen. Vielen lieben Dank hierfür

Erin Watt ist das Pseudonym von dem Schreiberduo Elle Kennedy und Jen Frederick, die uns dieses Jahr schon mit der Royal Reihe beglückt haben.
"When it's real" ist aber jetzt ein Einzelband und so anders und trotzdem so sehr Erin. Man fliegt nur durch die Seiten, lächelt und fühlt sich gut.

Die Storyline dreht sich um Oakley Ford, ein ehemaliger Kinderstar, Sänger, Sohn berühmter Eltern, wahnsinnig gutaussehend, jedoch mit einem stetig wachsendem schlechten Image. Aus diesem Grund engagiert seine PR Abteilung eine Fake Freundin. Und da kommt Vaughn Bennett ins Spiel. Sie ist so normal wie du und ich... Die zwei sind verlorenen Seelen und werden sie es schaffen, durch einige Hindernisse, wie Presse und verrückte Fans, zu einer Seele zu wachsen?
Immer wieder hab ich mich gefragt, ob es so für einen Weltstar wirklich ist!?! So verloren und einsam... Es wirkt authentisch und wie oft haben wir schon von PR Romanzen zwischen z. B. Models und Sängern in der Boulevard Presse gelesen?

Diese Geschichte ist wie ein Märchen, denn gebt es zu, wer hat bitte nicht mindestens einmal davon geträumt, die "Welt" zu sein von einem Rockstar oder Schauspieler?
Die zwei wachsen von Seite zu Seite zusammen, man spürt die Schmetterlinge, die Blicke, ich habe mitgefühlt und mitgelitten.
Ich war Vaughn und hab mich wieder wie 17 gefühlt.
Es ist so süß und bitter wie die erste große Liebe

Auch das Cover ist frisch und passend, denn zwischen den Zeilen sprühen einfach die Funken

Erin Watt schreiben einfach so unbeschwert und leicht und es läßt sich in einem Rutsch lesen. Die Dialoge zwischen Vaughn und Oak sind so lustig und herzerwärmend und es macht einfach Spaß, dieses Buch zu verschlingen.

Ich bin ein riesen Fan von Oak geworden und finde es traurig, dass es ihn in "echt" nicht gibt
Ach und Oak, mein Songwriter Gott, dem es nie an Worten fehlt, würde zu diesem Buch sagen, dass es "shiver-inducing, mesmerizing, awesome, bodacious, crackalicious, devastating, entertaining, fantastic, great…" ist.

Eure verliebte Giovanna

PS: Lieber Piper Verlag, ich hoffe sehr, ihr bringt diese Geschichte auch nach Deutschland

#ErinWatt #WhenItsReal #ElleKennedy #JenFrederick
#Sommerbuch #Strandlektüre

After loving the bestselling Royals series, reading When It's Real was an easy decision to make. Yes, their previous books were filled with a whole lot of drama, and it wasn't for everyone. But somehow they worked their magic, and I couldn't have stopped reading them if my life depended on it. Erin Watt, the author duo of Elle Kennedy and Jen Frederick, warned readers not to expect more of the same. The series being categorized as Mature YA, and this standalone as traditional YA, they're obviously going to have a different slant to them. And I was all for that. Unfortunately this one didn't completely win me over as I had hoped. Don't get me wrong, it was still enjoyable, just missing that extra wow factor that I was hoping for.

Oakley Ford is a nineteen year old rock star who shot to fame at the age of fourteen with his mainstream pop albums reaching double platinum. Now feeling jaded, apathetic, and unable to create anything that he's proud of, he's stuck in a major rut.

My first impression of Oak was that he was an overindulged guy who thought very highly of himself. But knowing there could be some character growth, I wasn't judging too harshly. And thankfully, his interaction with Vaughn brought about a lot of soul searching and a shift away from his ego. When you grow up in Hollywood as the child of two A-list stars, and then find your own path to fame, it's easy to see how it could cause one to take things for granted and get wrapped up in the adulation. There were flashes though, even in the beginning, when he had an irresistible charisma about him that will make you sit up and take notice.

Vaughn Bennett was your everyday "normal" girl who is far away from the glamorous world that Oak is a part of. After the tragic loss of her parents, she didn't have the luxury of being careless and free anymore. She finished school early and began waitressing in order to help support her family. She and her older sister Paisley take care of their twelve-year old twin brothers adequately enough, but there isn't much hope for college funds in the near future. So when the unusual opportunity to boost Oak's public opinion with a fake relationship falls in her lap, she knows there's no way she could turn down the financial windfall.

Seeing these two interact initially, they butt heads quite a bit. I admired her for her lack of celebrity worship, she treated him appropriately based on his character. She also didn't keep quiet when he let his conceit run away with him. Their combative relationship slowly cooled as their publicity "dates" increased. Suddenly, they discovered that their artificial publicity stunt was proving to feel much more substantial and meaningful. However, the little matter of Vaughn's boyfriend put a damper on them coming clean about their attraction.

For most of the book, I would have easily rated this a solid four stars. It was after they were both single, attraction and deeper feelings were involved, that Vaughn started behaving childishly and I couldn't look at her the same again. I always saw her as the one with her head on straight. Yes, she was lacking direction in choosing what she wanted to do with her life, but who isn't at her age? They were both looking to discover their true selves in a sense. However, Vaughn's behavior was uncharacteristically immature at one event in the book and the whole situation didn't feel realistic to me. It was so surprising, I had a hard time believing that it had actually happened at first. The conflict that arose from what she did came back a second time later on, and my frustration came back full force.

Though this book wasn't an enthusiastic five for me personally, for many readers I know it will hit all the right spots. The lack of angst and the light, easy pace of it makes it a perfect read if you're looking for something quick and sweet.

When it's real was provided via netgalley as an ARC, for which I'm very grateful! I was dying to read this book, since I've already heard so many good things about this author and the story-line sounded like something I was going to love..

PRO/CONS:
+ very lovable and well developed characters. I really loved Oak and Vaughn as main characters. Vaughn is definitely just what Oak needs; a down to earth 'normal' girl to ground him from his crazy life as singer. And for me it was obvious from the start that Vaughn's boyfriend, W, was a real first class douchebag, yuk.. So I was definitely #TEAMOAK right from the start haha, even though Oak behaves like a spoiled brat at first. Oak is a chracter who puts on a show for the outside while his real self is behind 'walls' and I really liked the person behind those 'walls'. He was just perfect for Vaughn!! I loved seeing him open up to Vaughn and find an anchor in her. Loved reading about him falling in love with her and the other way around as well. I liked Vaughn because of her down to earth character and just being 'normal'. It makes relating to a character that much easier I think. I loved seeing Vaughn with Oak but also with her family; her sister Paisley and the twin brothers.

The rest of the minor characters in the book were perfectly ok as fill-ups in this story. Even with the little precense some of them got, I just liked them because of HOW the author writes them 'in' the story. It just clicks..

+ - the whole story-line is a big cliché, from beginning till end which makes most of the story-line predictable. I kind of expected this before starting this book, after reading the synopsis so it's something I made peace with. I mean, there's only so much that'll happen in a story like this, right?

- Towards the end, when you'd expect a lot will happen in a story like this, it just didn't feel spectacular enough for me.. I expected a bit more I guess? It was over too soon and just felt a bit 'too easy'. It lacked some angst is the right way to put it I guess. But if you like a fluffy, light read, this is totally your cup of tea xD

CONCLUSION: Overall, it was a really enjoyable and fast-paced read and I give this book a 3/3.5 star rating. It was definitely a book I couldn't put down while reading it because I was totally hooked to these characters and their development throughout the story - I can't say it enough; I really liked the characters!!

This is just that sort of book you pick up when you're in need of a romantic, enjoyable, fast paced read. A read without a lot of drama which makes it a light and sweet.

I loved Erin Watt's Paper Princess series first off! This was a lot different than it which was still great! It was super cute and fluffy and just what I needed.

I am in love with the writing duo that is Erin Watt. No seriously I adore their writing. I would read absolutely anything from them. That being said, this book is nothing that you would expect coming from them after reading The Royals series. That does not make this story any less addictive though.

This story is so sweet and so adorable. I just smile thinking about it. The connection between the two main characters, Oakley and Vaughn is just beautiful. While I was not a fan of Oakley for quite a while in the book, you really get to see him and you learn to fall for him as you read more because these characters are so well developed. You get to see so many different facets of their personality. I love Vaughn and her family. I thought she was sweet and funny and I thought she was perfect for Oakley. She played off of him very well.

I literally said awww.. a few times as I was sitting there reading this book. It will definitely make you swoon and will make your heart warm. It's a beautiful story and definitely goes to show that you cannot go wrong with an Erin Watt story, whether it be twisty and suspenseful or sweet and swoony. I can't wait to see what they come up with next.

Vaughn Bennett is your typical everyday normal young lady who wants to do good and help out her family. Oakley Ford is the young bad boy rock star who's gotten himself into trouble and needs a new image.

As fate would have it, these two are thrown together by way of obligation to a contract that was signed but can it be real. This is the journey of Vaughn and Oakley and young love. Is it true love or not? Highly recommend this book

*5 Stars*

Erin Watt can do no wrong, seriously. I loved this book. After having been hooked on the Royals series, and literally speeding through those in only a couple of days, a part of me was worried if I would love this one as much, because lets be honest, when they say "Those Royals will ruin you"- they mean it. Could this book really live up to the hype of their previous ones?

I needn't have worried, because I was hooked on this one straight away too. I love both of our main characters and the secondary characters were fantastic also. At first I was a bit like, oh Oakley, you are kind of that stuck-up rich famous person and you do carry that persona, but then once I got a little more into the book and discovered his real personality I was definitely on Team Oak.

I also liked how Vaughn was always herself and didn't fall prey to putting on an act for Oak just because he was a famous musician. So many people would let that happen, but she didn't and it was a great way to show her real side, and her true "girl next door"type personality.

The antics and banter between her and Oak from the start were awesome. The way she speaks to him the first time they meet was hilarious and things just progress from there. I really despised W (c'mon, who even has that for a name?!) and I was so glad that Vaughn finally got to see him for who he really was.

I loved Vaughn's sister and Oaks bodyguards and even his Mum. His Dad can go jump though. The way this story progressed worked really well and I was constantly wanting to see what would happen next and I felt the emotions of what was happening as I was reading.

The angsty part was good, but not over the top which I liked and I also liked how things didn't get dragged out when the truth was discovered. It was straight and to the point and worked really well.

I really loved this book and can't wait to see what more Erin Watt brings in the future. Maybe we could get some spin-offs about Vaughn's sister and brothers?! Pretty please?

WOW - THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING!!

I can’t stop smiling!!!!!!

When It's Real was everything I hoped for and so much more!! A rockstar romance that was slow burn, funny, feel-good and swoony!!!! It was sweet, sexy, romantic, and had my favorite ingredient - awesome banter!!

I'm floored by how much I loved this book! Not only was I smiling the entire time I was reading it, I was emotionally invested in both main characters. From the very first page I was pulled into the story and I couldn't stop thinking about it. I would love to say I finished it in one setting but I made the mistake and started the book at work - which is NEVER a good idea. So I was interrupted again and again.

It should have been savored and enjoyed without INTERRUPTION!!!

But OMG this book made me HAPPY! I was hoping it would. I couldn't wait to read it and after reading the ROYALS series I knew ERIN WATT could deliver.

I loved both characters.

Flawed and fascinating, they showed significant signs of growth and maturity throughout the book. And that's such a nice change for a YA novel. Both characters but especially Oakley had such depth to draw from. It was so easy to fall for him. He was brash but also sensitive. Vulnerable under his rock star demeanor. And Vaughn was especially fascinating - sassy, strong and smart. I adored her personality. She was not afraid of going head to head with a rock star.

The supporting characters were to die for. So many wonderful personalities, couples to ship, bothers to grow up - unlimited possibilities. :D

When It's Real gave me all the feelings I was looking for. Erin Watt is a master in crafting compelling and captivating stories. The storytelling was energetic and emotional with a great amount of vibrancy.

When It's Real was the ultimate fun, sexy, feel-good, heart-warming romance and Erin Watt is without a doubt, becoming quickly one of my favorite authors.





My review will be published on May 15th

Another Excellent Book from Erin Watt!!

I received this free eARC novel from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Oakley Ford has been a teen-pop star singer since he was a wee thing. He wasn't shy of being in the public eye with his famous movie star parents, and going into the music business was like a second home. But it's been 2 years since he has released a new album or created new music, and his agent thinks that if he doesn't release something soon, he will lose his thousands of fans. Oak doesn't think that he needs to do anything except partner up with another popular singer, King. But King won't go near Oak because of his wild reputation. However, if Oak could change his image, King might be willing to work with Oak.

And that is where Vaughn comes in. She's a "normal" girl and Oak's PR team want all of the girls who follow Oak to think that he could fall for a girl just like them if they can get Vaughn to agree to date Oak for a year. Vaughn already has a boyfriend and thinks that this idea is ridiculous, but the amount of money they are willing to pay here would make a huge difference in her life. When her parents passed away, life has been hard for Vaughn, her older sister, Paisley, and her younger twin brothers. Vaughn had to graduate high school early and take a year off from college to work and help get money for bills and food.

So when this deal came through, she really couldn't say no. Doing this gig for a year would make a lot of differences, and also help the twins go to college in the future.

But while Vaughn used to have a crush on Oak when she was 15, at 17 she realizes how much of a spoiled child Oak has become and she's kinda over his superiority attitude.

Except that the more she hangs out with Oak, the more she realizes that he's not exactly the jerk that he pretends to be sometimes. And he seems to like her well enough, even though she is "plain" and "normal" and would rather wear jeans and Converses than dresses and heels.

Just as things are starting to become intense between the two, the media explodes with information from Vaughn's ex-boyfriend and Oak's ex-band member that might ruin what has been building between Vaughn and Oak.

I really liked Vaughn. She is down to earth, she is looking out for her family and is sacrificing a lot for her own happiness to make sure that her family survives through the next few years after her parents died. Vaughn doesn't take any crap thrown at her, and that goes for Oak's attitude as well. And I think that's why Oak starts to fall for her. He's used to others fawning over him, wanting him to autograph or take selfies with him. Vaughn couldn't give a care about any of that.

Plus, Oak loves being with her family and I think that is the sweetest thing in the world. He's always hanging out with her younger brothers, without Vaughn even knowing about it, and that shows that he really likes to just chill with them.

Oak was very immature and spoiled at the beginning, and he was the one that grew into a better person by the end of the novel.

I really enjoyed this novel and watching these characters go through different emotions throughout the book. It does have a different feel than The Royals series, but I think fans of music and teenage love will really enjoy this book!

I'm very glad that I got this as an eARC so I could devour it early!

There’s something about the writing duo that is Erin Watt. There is something intangible that makes their writing very compelling. I have been so frustrated lately because I’ve been having a hard time even finishing a book. I haven’t been able to connect to characters or find any interest in a story long enough to stick it out. But then I started When It’s Real and for some reason I couldn’t put it down.

There’s nothing inherently unique about this story. A “normal” girl and a rock star fall for each other. They each have issues from their childhood. Fans try to tear them down. There’s lots of drama and so on and so forth. But these authors found a way to take an overdone trope and elevate it enough that I was interested and wanted to keep going.

I connected well with the characters; Vaughn and Oakley had great chemistry and I really wanted to see them make it. I loved the tension in the beginning of the story and how that slowly evolved into a tentative friendship and eventually more.

I do have to say that I cringed some while reading it because it’s considered YA. This book seemed a bit mature to me. Maybe I’m becoming a prude the closer I get to my 30s or maybe it’s that I have a daughter. If you have a teenager wanting to read it, I suggest you read it first. There’s drinking, language, and sex, although the sexy scenes are mostly fade-to-black. I’m inclined to say it’s more New Adult, but again, maybe I’m just starting to forget what it was like to be a teenager.

Overall, I think this book was very well done. The writing was good, the story was sweet, and I totally fell in love with Vaughn and Oakley. I wasn’t expecting a lot since it’s classified as YA and I’m not usually one for that genre, but they completely won me over. They brought all of that magic from their series The Royals that makes you unable to put the book down and infused it in this one. I think their writing was even more developed in this book than in their past. You can tell they’ve grown together. Definitely recommend for when you need to lose yourself in a book. This one will take you back to your own days of young love and the feelings will swallow you whole.