There are so many aspects about this book that I absolutely fell in love with.  The chemistry between Willow and Zane is intense.  They’ve been involved in each others lives since childhood but this isn’t the classic friends-to-lovers tale; the author manages to combine the fake engagement theme with a second chance romance & friends to lovers journey to make a great story.  Willow and Zane had a shot at something in their younger days, but miscommunication and secrets kept that from happening.  Now years later the truth comes out in a very unconventional way.  Following the journey that these two go on with their relationship is so exciting and entrancing.  I couldn’t help but fall in love with Zane and want to root for a happy ending between him and Willow.
 
As per usual with Melissa Foster books, there was romance, heat, humor and drama; the author writes the perfect story to hold the reader’s entire focus.  One of my favorite things about Melissa Foster’s writing is how she manages to create an environment that I want to just immerse myself into.  She brings to life characters that are so realistic that sometimes you may forget you’re even reading a book.  For those of you that are already Melissa Foster fans – this is going to be everything you’ve come to expect and desire from one of her books.  Go read it today, you’ll be glad you did – well you probably already have it on your kindle.  If you are not already a Melissa Foster fan – I highly encourage you to pick up this book.  You will fall in love with her writing and will end up on the edge of your seat waiting for the next read.

The Real Thing is a fantastic beginning to the Sugar Lake series. The settings are well written and sets the scene with the small-town feel.

The characters were likable and easy to enjoy. They were also frustrating. There were times I wish they had communicated more when they were younger or spoke up about their true feelings. Although, that miscommunication is what drove them to where they are now and made them grow as people.

Willow Dalton became a drive, hard-working, and family-oriented woman. She sticks to her goals and beliefs no matter what comes up.

Zane Walker became an A-list actor. He's had his fair share of women in his past. Needing to turn his reputation around, he seeks help from his childhood friend who has always been there for him. They've both been hurt by their past actions. Zane is willing and wanting to look towards the future.

The secondary characters are very memorable and fun. I can't wait to read more of the Sugar Lakes series.

I received this book through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, I have volunteered to share my review and all the opinions are 100% my own.

Zane was first introduced as somewhat of a player and he didn't make a very lasting impression at first. It didn't take many pages to change my mind. I thought it was a nice that the fake engagement was the guy's idea. Zane was not only sexy, but he was also the sweetest guy!! And Willow... how strong and brilliant was she!! She was first introduced in the the After Dark series and I loved her from the very first occurrence! Family, as always, was very present in this book, making me wish I was part of it! It was a great feel-good vacation read and I can't wait for Bridget's book to come out!

When I first met Zane Walker in Crashing into Love (Love in Bloom: The Bradens at Trusty Book 6), as Jake Braden's actor friend in Hollywood, I thought he was an insensitive womanizer.

I am glad we have this second chance to know him better in this new Sugar Lake series!

Willow Dalton and Zane Walker are childhood friends and have a special connection that it is worthy to discover throughout the book. We get to know Willow and the Dalton's in Bad Boys After Dark (Bad Billionaires After Dark Book 1). She is a fantastic baker with a strong attitude and is as sweet as her cupcakes.

Zane needs a fake fiancée to improve his image as a romantic hero in a new movie and Willow is his girl as she knows him as no one else. However, as this farce progresses both realizes that they are more involved than ever and their chemistry and connection is so great that it is impossible to keep their hands from each other.

Only Melissa Foster can write beautiful words like " But I actually like you. I'm more myself with you than I've ever been with any other guy, which is why I've tried to keep you at arm's length."
This book is pure feelings and it is so raw that I cried almost in every page of it.

Willow and Zane are sweet, sexy, naughty but incredibly romantic. This is a great start of what I think will be a wonderful series.

I have read many of Melissa Foster's other books and this one feels different... in a good way.  I'm a fan of her work, but this story felt more complete and the characters more complex than the Love in Bloom series.  The Real Thing is a little more than just a quick light beach read.  The story is still fast a paced and the tone generally light hearted as I've come to expect from her other books, but I felt more of connection to Willow and Zane than I typically do with characters in her books.  I am really looking forward to this new direction of books and recommend them to anyone who enjoys other Montlake authors like Catherine Bybee and Marina Adair.

What a great way to start a new Melissa Foster series.

What would you do if your "one" asked you to be their fake fiancee for a couple of weeks?

You know this is going to end up one of two ways, right?

Zane and Willow's story is sweet and cute and sexy. I could completely understand why Willow is a bit standoffish with Zane at the beginning, once we get to know their history.

Zane is just the bomb.com - there was nothing I didn't like about him in this story. The more we learn, the more I adored him.

However Willow did it for me. I liked that she is not some weak "oh but why does he like me" kinda girl. She is smart, sassy, successful and knows what she wants.

And a really great thing about this book - no big drama just for the sake of drama. Sure, our lovelies had their issues, however everything was dealt with like adults.

There are great secondary characters, particular Willow's family, who will be the focus of the other books to come in this series.

The Real Thing is cute and sweet and adorable, and a great way to spend my night.

Now I am impatient for the next book in the Sugar Lake series.

**will go live on blog during tour**

Welcome to Sweetwater where you'll meet the most swoon-worthy book boyfriend -- he was equal parts funny, romantic and sweet with a side of dirty talking.  Love the dynamic between Wills and Zane and the development of their characters throughout the book.  Great start to another excellent series by this great author!

Willow has a good life in the small town of Sweetwater with her friends, her family and her bakery. The only thing she’s missing is a man. Zane is a small town boy who escaped as soon as possible to make it big in Hollywood as an A-list actor. But he needs to clean up his playboy reputation, and Willow is the only girl he wants to help him, by pretending to be his fiancée. They’ve know each other forever. He’s her brother’s best friend, the boy who practically grew up in her home, the young man she asked to take her virginity, and the man she turns to when faced with big decisions and who she’s texted back and forth with since he first left town. With his cocky arrogance, giant ego and women the world over throwing themselves at his feet, Willow is adamant about not perpetuating Zane’s ruse, but the glimpses of the boy she knew and her unresolved feelings for Zane have her agreeing with his proposition.

Zane and Willow both immediately won my heart. Although Zane is used to getting what he wants, it was clear that there was so much more to him than just a hot mega star. It wasn’t long before his small town roots exposed his depth, compassion and huge heart. It quickly became impossible to not love him. Willow was amazing in so many ways with her sassy, sarcastic wit, her intelligence and her inner beauty. Even her insecurities were understandable and relatable – who wouldn’t b a little insecure dating a famous actor? – and she dealt with them in not only a mature way, but in a spectacularly “kick butt and take names” fashion. Watching these two reveal their secrets from the past and work towards a future together was delightfully rewarding!

I’ve loved Melissa Foster’s writing since the first of the Love In Bloom series, so I was thrilled to get an advance copy of this book. As I’ve come to expect with this author, The Real Thing did not disappoint! This is small town romance at its best, and who doesn’t love a second chance romance? First, Ms. Foster creates a quaint, beautiful, colorfully real setting that will make any city dweller yearn for the appealing, more simple life to be found in Sweetwater. Next, she crafts vibrant, multilayered, complex characters that are a tasty treat for the senses, and mixes it all up in a decadently delicious storyline full of humor and tender emotion that leaves the reader sated and happy. The perfect recipe for a delectable read!

https://www.amazon.com/review/R2QEZB6ZEP7KID/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

Willow and Zane have known each other since they were kids. Zane happens to be best friends with her older brother, Ben. He spent more time at their house than his own dysfunctional one and was seen as a member of the family. Well, to everyone but Willow. She’s been crushing on him for ages. When he left town to make it big as a Hollywood actor, they remained in touch. They were not only really good friends, but they shared a secret (he was her first). When Zane needs to clean up his image as a renowned player, he looks to Willow to help him out. What happens when a fake engagement leads to real love? 

When I’m looking for sweet, Melissa Foster is definitely at the top of my list. Her heroes are swoon-worthy and her heroines have spunk and more than prove that they’re a match for their men. Her stories are full of humor, family, friends, romance, good times and feel goods. The Real Thing gave me all of that and more and is worthy of a one-click!

Release Date: September 5, 2017
Genre: Contemporary Romance
POV: Dual - 3rd person
Heat: 3 out of 5
Type: Standalone - Book 1 of the Sugar Lake series

Holy hotness! I mean, really, I shouldn’t be surprised – it is a Melissa Foster book after all!

I found Willow to be quite frustrating with her fears and rules and pushing Zane away. She tried so hard to keep him away – I just wanted to yell at her and tell her to stop being so mean and give love a chance.

Zane was our typical hero who you can’t help but love.

I truly enjoyed reading Willow and Zane’s story and melted at their life history that was consumed with love.

3.5 Stars Rating with Spoilers
I think this was a cute book and a quick read. Willow's childhood best friend Zane concocts a "plan" to help his lady's man image. Supposedly this was created to re-invent his image so that he does not look like a man who can't settle down, a man with many different women in his life. He's a big time actor from a small town. One he left as soon as he hit legal age, but he never forgot his friend Willow. 

But he feels the "one" for him is his best friend Willow, a bakery owner and baker of all things sweet. The crazy idea is for her to pretend to be his fiance and fool everyone including her family whom she loves dearly. He's filming a movie in town and gets Willow to cater for the set which she does an awesome job. During most of the book, Zane is trying to convince Willow once and for all that she is the one for him and he wants the fake engagement to be real. The whole time Zane was lying about having to clean up his image and that it was his choice to film the movie in their small town. In the end, happily ever afters do happen for Zane and Willow.

oh my gosh zane and willow are sin full   with sugar, spice and  all thing sexy!! 
these are an amazing couple I loved them  Melissa captures her characters to a T.

Zane and willow have know each since college despite being involved once  but will willow take up the offer of fake engagement?????  she know she is arrogant and thinks of him self but is there more to zane than she never knew  or will her heart break? 

the fake relationship turns real but who know weather one is playing part for the fake engagement or is what they feel for real ???  
I truly loved this book  Melissa has did it again with more characters to love.

I am in love with this new series by Melissa Foster. Although we briefly met both characters in previous books getting what turned out to be their love story was amazing. Willow and Zane are just perfect for each other, friends to lovers, sweet and sexy. I just had a huge grin on my face reading this book. It was so much fun! I cannot wait for the rest of the series. 
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

An over the top sexy and sweet and heartfelt romantic comedy from Melissa Foster that has won me over, heart and soul! This romance is fun, charming, electrifying, and full of heat, great banter and wit and wonderful and loved characters. 

The Real Thing has one of the most lickable..I mean likable covers EVER! Sexy, fun, with a hint of sweet (thanks to those delicious looking cupcakes) I knew this book was going to be pretty good. But I didn't just get a pretty good story, I got a GREAT, ENTERTAINING, SEXY, and WITTY romance that was laugh out loud humorous at times, sweet as icing on a cupcake and romantic to boot. Melissa Foster I LOVED The Real Thing!

The Real Thing gets a SWEET, SCRUMPTIOUS FIVE SHOOTING STARS! Its ultra decadent!

This book is super cute. It has all my favorite elements in a romance. It has humor, steaminess, touching moments, a sexy alpha male, and a happily ever after.  I love that Willow is such a natural beauty inside and out.  She cares about her family friends, and community. She is very easy to relate to.  Zane is the boy next door who became a huge celebrity.  He has been in love with Willow forever but as one of the hottest male actors around he comes with a very busy past when it comes to women.  Zane wants to make a change in his career and knows that it requires him to clean up his reputation.  His plan seems simple enough. He has loved Willow as a friend and maybe more so a fake engagement seems like the perfect way to kill two birds with one stone.  The downside is that he MAY have overestimated just how hard it would be to keep the lines between reality and fiction straight.  I was rooting for this couple from page one. Willow and Zane are like the couple that you can't help but want to hang out with.  My only complaint is that there could have been just a smidge more drama. Willow has a lot of siblings and Zane introduces a few characters of his own that I hope to read more about in the next installment to the Sugar Lake series.

****Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake Romance for granting me an advanced reader copy of this book. All opinions expressed here are my own.***

A great start to a new series 
I love all things sweet so the fact that one of the main characters owned a bakery made me love her instantly. 
The story of childhood friends figuring out how much they love each other with humour, challenges, plenty of heat and mistakes gives us a heartfelt entertaining story in keeping with Melissa Foster's signature style. 
One thing that did bother me was that the main character's name, was another main character's name in a different author's book, but there was nothing to be done there.

. This book was really cute. And I love a story of friends to lovers story, even if they had faked the engagement part, you knew that was going to change. Zane was Willow's brothers best friend, and ofcourse she had a crush on him growing up and he was her first. He does leave town and become a big Hollywood actor, but now he needs to clean up his image, and who better than Willow. There are some great moments and characters in this. Enjoy!

Such a great and sweet book that will make you want to read it in one sitting.
I loved Willow and Zane.

A beautiful second chance romance! Willow and Zane shared a night that neither one of them ever forgot but got buried away over time. Now, years later, all the truths from that special night come out and give these best friends a second chance at happiness and a lifetime love. This was a really sweet read, literally! Willow is a determined baker with an insatiable sweet tooth. Zane was her first love but moved away to Hollywood and became an A-list action hero. He becomes the quintessential Hollywood playboy and asks Willow to help him clean up his reputation by becoming his fake fiance. She reluctantly agrees because she's always been in love with him.

Willow and Zane fall in love all over again and I could really feel it in this story. Zane turned out to be a really complex guy and I loved that all these misconceptions that Willow had about him were slowly uncovered. I couldn't help but fall in love with him, too. He and Willow were perfect for each other. They had so much chemistry and history between them. I really felt the love between them and found myself tearing up at times. I got all the feels from this read. I did get a little annoyed by Willow towards the end; I do think she overreacted about some things. I guess I just expected that after all that time and after everything that her and Zane had been through, that nothing would give her doubts about their relationship. We were also introduced to Willow's siblings and I'm looking forward to reading about their happily-ever-afters!