Give me Zane on a platter with a side of Ben. IJS... Holly hotness on the wooing and making Willow a believer. I don't think I swooned that much while reading a book.

Thank you Melissa for making this second chance live story into a will of past versus present. Doubt versus reality and growth. I welcome the knowledge of how they knew they would be there for each other in a time of need. Also how Zane put her first in shielding the negative and lime lights from Willow. A Man of honor and truths after a little coherencing and half truths.

The real thing
By: Melissa Foster
📚💕⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💕📚

So many sweet surprises

Small town girl and the Hollywood heart throb....its been done.....Right? Nah not like this. I will say this you might want to strangle our leading man Zane at the beginning but he just might be the sweetest surprise. Zane and Willow grew up in the same small town. Zane two years older than her and her brothers best friend was always around. Spending more time as part of Willows family than his own they've always been close. Giving Zane her innocence before she heads to college was her choice and she made the rules. Zane never being able to say no to Willow went with it when she asked.

This is wrre things change. Even though they have stayed in each other's lives things have never been the same.

Getting ready to shoot his latest movie and told by the production company to clean up his act Zane ask Willow to be his fiancé. When truths and feelings get involved will these two finally open their hearts or will fears and outside jealousy get in the way.

I really enjoyed this book and it kept me engrossed throughout. I really loved the characters and the way they interacted with each other. This is a fun, hot, romantic must read book and I would definitely recommend this book to anyone.

This book has everything I love in a book. Then you add that it's beautifully written and believable. It is easily a five star read. Written in dual POV my personal favorite this story flows so incredibly well that the next thing you know your 80% into the book and loving every second of it. The believable way the characters interact is perfect. Run, Hop, Jump or use your (1 click) finger to do whatever you have to do and get this amazing book. It'll break your heart, you'll want to scream with frustration and it'll let you discover that love just might conquer all. The chemistry is steamy and sweet and oh so romantic.

Thanks you Netgally for letting me read and review.

Zane and Willow are best friends who are secretly in love with each other. Zane needs Willow to pretend to be his fiancee to convince his backers of his new film that he can indeed switch from being an action hero to a romantic hero. Cue his best friend Willow, who is reluctant at first, but as it benefits her also she agrees. This story has a feel good vibe and is about the discovery of who they really are.
I loved this story as it was happy, uplifting but still had some very serious parts too. Recommended to all romance readers.

The Real Thing is a lovely romance with sparkling dialogue, some pretty 'hot' scenes and very little angst just a great developing relationship.
For years Willow has been friends with Zane, he was her brothers best friend but is now a top Hollywood star with a reputation as a total player. They had made love when willow was 18 so she was prepared before she went to college, I know sounds odd but in this story it so works. She has been in love with him forever and it broke her heart when he just appeared to want to be best buddies with her, but Zane has always loved her but didn't think he was good enough for her.
So begins his declaration of love and total wooing of willow, prepared to show her she can rely on him, Willow is unsure, especially how she would cope with the heartbreak if he lets her down again.
Take the journey with them, it's beautiful and flows along at an enjoyable pace.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for opportunity to review this book honestly.

The book was sweet all over, beginning through end and it had actually nothing to do with Willow's sweets.
I quickly fell in love with Zane and Willow, they were the cutest together and the love they shared was so strong, it was beautiful to read. Their journey was an amazing one, even with those 10 years spent with their feelings towards one another and that night buried. That time 'apart' made the way they came together again even more perfect, it was a true joy to read. It was just really so sweet, I was swooning throughout almost the whole book with how cheesy and dreamy Zane was with Willow.

I had heard such good things about Melissa Foster but my first exposure to her writing was reading Read, Write, Love at Seaside under her other pen name, Addison Cole. It really didn’t grab me and I ended up putting it aside without finishing. So I was a little leery of jumping in again but this book sounded so cute I couldn’t resist. I’m glad I didn’t because this was such an enjoyable read.
I loved Zane so hard! He is nothing like what you would expect from one of the hottest actors in Hollywood. He is so sweet and I loved that he’s adored Willow since she was an awkward teen. Seeing him trying to win her over and convince her about his feelings made me fall in love with him. Once Willow stopped getting in the way of her own happiness I really came to enjoy her character as well. There were several side characters whom I also fell for and cannot wait to read their stories as well.
If you haven’t read Melissa Foster before I highly recommend this book. The Real Thing was a refreshing, thoroughly enjoyable read and readers will fall in love with Zane!

I absolutely adore Melissa Foster books and her writing style. The Real Thing is everything I thought it would be and more. Its a sweet, sassy and sexy friends to lovers/brothers best friend/second chance romance. Willow and Zane love them. They are one of my favorite characters from all of Melissa Fosters books. Timing is everything and with Zane and Willow they finally got it right. I defiantly swooned for Zane. Like where is a Zane in real life. Willow is so full of life and sassy and I want to best friends with that girl. Willows whole family is wonderful. I'm so looking forward to being able to get to know the characters more in future books to come. I loved this book and didn't want to put it down.

I adore this new series by Melissa Foster! As usual she is on point with her master story-telling and extremely lovable characters. She sure has a knack for writing some of the most lovable heroines I’ve ever read and Willow is one such heroine. She is sweet, sassy, funny, generous, loyal and so very real.
She owns a bakery in her small hometown of Sweetwater and is definitely everyone's favorite hometown girl because she is just so adorable, sweet, genuine and kind.
Zane is an amazing man. He may be an A-list action hero movie star who is gorgeous and sexy but he is so sweet, down to earth and lovable and deep down is still that boy Willow fell in love with all those years ago. He goes through great lengths to find what has been missing from his life and make things happen. He was Willow’s first everything, but he left Sweetwater to pursue an acting career and is now a very successful Hollywood actor. Needing to clean his reputation as a player up, he enlists Willow who has remained a good friend over the years to be his fake fiancée. She finally agrees and soon finds out that what was supposed to be fake is a very real thing for both of them. he wants to be her last everything.
I loved watching everything unfold and come together for Zane and Willow. There were so many sweet and magical moments. So many moments that made me swoon and just feel everything a romance should make you feel.
This story is so well written with equal parts of sweet and sexy. One of my favorite couples from Melissa to date for sure!! Now I can't wait to see what is in store for Willow’s siblings and how they will get their HEAs as this new series continues. 5 Hollywood Blvd Stars!!!

I loved this! Fun, flirty and sexy. This was such fun to read! The storyline might be something that's been done before, the fake fiancee, but it was so good. The hero and heroine are so great together. Their chemistry is off the charts! Couldn't put it down. I love this author and I can't wait for more!

Willow has always longed for her older brother's best friend, Zane. They had a night together back before Willow left for college, but their relationship went no further. It left Willow with feelings of anger and resentment toward Zane -- especially when he became a womanizing famous actor. Now, Zane's back in town and looking to change his image. He needs Willow to help him do that by pretending to be his fiancée. The arrangement is something Willow should know better than to say yes to, but she still can't resist Zane.

The Real Thing was a fun fake fiancée romance. It's been a long time since I read a book by Melissa Foster. I had forgotten how much I enjoy her writing. She's an author who knows how to write third person point of view. A lot of the time, it takes me a while to be able to get into third person narration. It wasn't that way with The Real Thing. I didn't even notice it. Third person felt just as easy as reading first person in this book. I really appreciated that. I also appreciated that both Willow and Zane's perspectives were included.

Willow and Zane were a cute couple. She was independent, loyal and fiery. He was overconfident, but deep down had a big heart. All of those things fit really well and complimented each other. I loved that they had been pining over each other since high school. It made their love story all the sweeter.

I do have to admit there was something that bugged me about this book that I couldn't let go. Willow's hatred and distrust of Zane didn't make complete sense. I understand that she's mad that he moved on, but she set things up that way. He truly didn't do anything that set out to hurt her or break her heart. Plus, it had been like ten years and she was still holding onto to her anger. It seemed weird since she had been in contact with him at least monthly and had seen him several times over the years. Maybe I was missing something. Maybe I needed more than just a snapshot of the aftermath of their teenage decision.

One of my favorite things about this book was the cast of secondary characters. Willow had an amazing family. Each was an individual with a strong personality. Meeting them made me very excited for what's to come in this series. I hope they all get their own books. I'm really hoping to see more of Ben and Amelia!

Overall, The Real Thing was a sweet contemporary read, and an entertaining take of a celebrity fake relationship.

The Real Thing was a cute, sweet, and sexy read. Zane has come back to town to ask a favor of his long time friend Willow. While they are pretending, will it become real? These two were absolutely perfect together and I loved the true deep connection they have. The banter between them is hilarious and kept me turning the pages to see what they would say next. I truly enjoyed this book and can't wait for the next one.

I love to read romance books and this one was amazing. The relationship between the sisters in this book was nothing sort of emotional and awesome. The author did an amazing job describing the individuality of each sisters and explaining why they are the way they are, and how close and important each sister was . The connection between Willow and Zane was magical and then showing how he connects to her family was so important to this series. I cannot wait to read the next book in the Sugar Lake series and find out what happens next to the family. Thank you NetGalley and Melissa Foster for allowing me to read and give an honest review of this book.

Willow owns a bakery and gets a job offer from a resort. She shows up but it's be all a lie. Zane, Hollywood actor and long time friend, is the one who made up the job. He wants her to pretend to be his fiancée for two weeks while he's filming in their hometown. But they have to keep it from her family. Willow has loved Zane for years but he left her after taking her virginity and headed to Hollywood. Now he'll do anything to win her heart.
Lots of sex. Funny. Beautiful baker and hot actor. Secrets. Family. I know this is short but it's a great story and I didn't want to give too much away.

Remember that first time? The hopes, the dreams, the feelings! Remember how long that mood stayed with you? Willow Dalton tried to control it. She asked her friend Zane Walker to be her "first" & then forget about it. No special feelings involved, just one night. She screwed up though. She fell for him. He stopped texting and her heart was crushed. In every encounter after then, she's guarded her heart by being sassy & snarky towards him. Now he wants her to be his pretend fiancée to clean up his image. Can she keep herself safe through that? Can she keep up a lie to her family for that long?

Zane Walker is now a Hollywood leading man but he never forgot Willow. A perfect situation to reconnect with her dropped in his lap. A focus group said he needed to clean up his image & date someone nice. Zane took it a step further thinking that if he could get Willow to open up, he could express his feelings. He's been in love with her since that night years ago. His life feels empty. He has everything he's dreamed of except her. Can he get Willow to ignore his image as a playboy? Will she fall in love with him?

OMG, I love Zane! So many times, the girl falls in love & the guy wants a one nighter. Not in a book by Melissa Foster! She's flipped it around to Willow wanting the one night stand, Zane in love with her for years & both of them suffering for years. The characters are well defined & the reader is given a good look at the characters for the rest of the series. The Dalton's love to give each other crap but support each other through thick & thin. I loved the interaction between Willow & Remi when they first meet. I am not going to leave spoilers but I had to laugh! I can't wait for the next book! I would recommend this book to all contemporary romance lovers that like their stories with spice & heat. There is some dirty language & sex but that isn't the focus of the story.

Fiery arguments, arrogant jerks and naughty thoughts, do not a relationship make. What happens when the guy of your fantasies needs a favor? A decadent game of hearts. Zane and Willow are a mess. He's the jerk that broke her heart and makes her temperature rise. She's the woman that adds spice to his life and makes his heart rejoice. The Real Thing has all the ingredients to deliver a box office hit. Heat and sweet meet to create a deliciously tasty treat.

I simply adore this book! It was very well written and I loved bot Willow and Zane. Their connection and chemistry was so real and you could feel the heat, so to say. The plot was nothing unusual, another fake engagement story but it was done so well. I needed something light and that's what I got :)
Melissa Foster delivers again!

Zane is an A-list actor who needs to clean up his playboy reputation. In order to do this he requests the help of his old friend and bakery owner, Willow. Zane needs a fake fiancé and uses the argument that Willow owes him since he took her virginity before college at her request. Willow and Zane then craft a fake relationship to help Zanes career. The problem is that Willow can't decide what is pretending and what is real. Is Zane really the playboy he is made out to be?

This was a good read and the character development is great. I really liked the details to the characters past together. I enjoy a book with a hea and his book did not disappoint. I really liked this book and would love to see what happens to the characters in the future!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the advance reader copy.

And this is such a nice second chance story... Melissa Foster is a fave author of mine and she doesn't disappoint here. Read the book. Zane, while all hot and sexy, is sweet and Willow is just as likeable. I was rooting for them a quarter into the book. I like that they both had to grow up to be the person the other needed before they could be together. They both were the ones who put a spanner in the works years before. And yet, despite that, they both managed to still be part of each other's lives, smaller than before but still there, so they were not strangers at all when they finally restarted again. Happy sigh.

Curious now about the rest of the supporting cast... :)

In this book we have our main characters Willow and Zane. Willow and Zane have known each other since they were like 9 years old. Before Willow went off to college she asked Zane to take her Vcard and to not make a big deal about it. Willow goes off to college and opens a bakery as Zane becomes a big time actor. As the years go by they text each other regularly and keep in touch. Willow never allowing Zane to get to close and denies all advances.

Zane begs Willow to help him clean up his rep by becoming his fake fiance`. Little does she know Zane has an ulterior motive.

This was such a touching story. Not your typical fake fiance`story. There is so much misunderstanding and moments in time lost. Zane leads a life that to others is glamorous, when deep down he is lost. Willow is a sweet girl who is sassy with a bite. I love Willow's family. They are so close and love each other deeply.

This book is the beginning of a new series and I am looking forward to the next story. If you are looking for a romantic tale of love lost and refound, then this book is for you. I highly recommend it. It is a wonderful story that will have you from the very first page. *Warning this book is not a cozy romance with PG scenes.

This was a very enjoyable, fun story. I loved the sparky relationship between Willow and Zane. Willow and Zane have been good friends for a long time and he is her brother's best friend.

Willow has her own bakery in their little town of Sweetwater that she is busy trying to grow and promote, and Zane is now a big action-hero movie star. But they have stayed friends and text each other all the time even though they don't actually see each other that often these days.

Then Zane is filming nearby and because he has a playboy image that the publicity people think is putting the general public off him he asks Willow to pretend to be his fake-fiancee for a couple of weeks until he's finished filming, then she can break up with him. So a win-win, he cleans up his reputation and she gets more publicity for her bakery.

Of course best laid plans.... and because they had such a strong relationship before the fake engagement, probably without even realising it, the foundations of their relationship were already there and their feelings just developed more and more as the fake engagement went on.

Of course Zane being famous did cause a couple of hassles along the way, with Willow being dragged into things because she was his fiancee and the world wanted to know more about her too, but they worked through them.

There were lots of side characters that I really liked too - Willow's sisters and her friend Aurelia especially - and I look forward to reading more in this very cute, romantic, easy-reading series.