The Real Deal is super cute. It's a fun read that contains plenty of charming repartee, believable conflict and an adorable array of secondary characters. Everything a contemporary romance novel should be - fun!

JANEANE

I adore Lauren Blakely's dual POV rom-coms, and The Real Deal is no different.

We all know what it is like, trying to live up to our parent's expectations. And when they are trying to set you up with every eligible man in town, you just can't blame April for hiring someone to play her boyfriend to get them off her case.

I get the smaller town vibe from this book, where everyone knows everyone's business - I live that life!

As much as I adore April's family, gosh at times they frustrated me. The way they treated April, as if whatever she did wasn't good enough -gah. The way they treated Theo when he arrived. I wanted to slap the lot of them - but they did get a lot better and they made me laugh out loud a lot of the time.

I adored watching April and Theo's insta-lust turn into more. It was fun and flirty, sweet and sexy.

Theo's to-and-froing though irritated me. I like you but you shouldn't like me, this is all over blah blah blah. Just make up your mind good sir!

A sweet fake-to-more romance that will have you smiling as you read.

Can't wait to see what Ms Blakely brings us next.


BIANCA
I just love a romantic comedy written in dual POV!

I LOVE LOVE Lauren's male POV romcoms, but hearing both their thoughts is great too.

And this one was really adorable.

Mega funny, sparky, sexy, cute. A bit mysterious/secretive.

I adored April and Theo!

And the family reunion. LOL!

Poor April - her family is hilarious - at least for us to read about! ☺☺☺

All through the story we're afraid that April won't be able to understand Theo and why he does what he does. What he used to do. Ugh. But of course this is a cute Rom Com, so we know that it'll all be ok in the end. But it takes us a while to get there! And we love every second reading about that journey!

THE REAL DEAL was an amazingly adorable & hilarious & sexy but also serious love story!! Run to your nearest amazon asap for your own Theo - this not so bad bad boy is MINE !!!

The Real Deal by Lauren Blakely... I give this book 4 1/2 stars.. it took a a little while to really get into it ..but then I loved it. Thanks to #Netgalley for letting me read this book. April Hamilton needs a buffer for her family reunion... her friend backs out at the last minute but sends her to Graigslist and a friend of his for a "boyfriend for hire". Theo Banks ...bar tender ...ex grifter.. "boyfriend for hire" is the man for the job. She has sworn off men lying men...he never gets involved with a "job". this is where the fun starts....so many feels...and fun family interaction...some hard truths and a very HEA.

Oy. I am definitely going to be in the minority here, but this one didn't work for me at all. I have loved Lauren Blakely's books in the past and was excited to get my hands on this one. I think there are a couple things going on here for me: I am fatigued of the romcom genre and my brain is only just starting to make peace with that. Romcoms have been a staple of my reading repertoire for a few years now, but I think my taste is evolving and with few exceptions - these sort of silly, sexy books aren't working for me anymore.

On top of that, I had a lot of trouble connecting with the way April and Theo connected and I could tell I was going to have a problem buying into their relationship because when everything is fake, how do you trust what's real? This is a really tricky trope to execute successfully for me because if I spend the whole book not trusting the main characters, I wind up not feeling like I'm very invested in the storyline. I also wasn't feeling the way they instantly connected and fell into their roles.

As I said, I am sure that I am in the minority here, but ultimately this was a DNF at 32% for me.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review.

This book answers the question,”is it possible for any author to write a fake date story that brings something new, fresh and funny to this tired plot?” And the answer is a resounding “Yes, yes indeed!” My expectations were not high when I started this book, but by the time I was a few pages in I was grinning and knew I was in for a treat - and I was not disappointed. Normally I avoid certain themes like the plague. Any book that features small towns with meddlesome neighbors or family, charming inns, and bakeries usually makes me cringe and run for a hit of insulin. But damn if this book didn’t weave in those elements in a way that was not trite, overdone, or creepy.

The story moves along at a fast clip from the points of view of both main characters, and they are just awesome. April is strong, successful and mostly happy with her life. She has a loving, wonderful family, all of whom want her to move back to her hometown from the city, and keep trying to set her up with local guys to achieve that end. Theo is a truly nice guy who grew up in a difficult circumstance and has had to put any plans for the future on hold until he can settle some debts incurred in the process of growing up and getting through college.. Thus the fake date for hire when April needs a buffer to attend her family reunion to ward off her family’s well intentioned efforts to set her up with every single guy in town.

For me, the thing that sets this book apart from other efforts to write this plot is the dialogue and the personalities of April and Theo. They are both good people with good intentions trying to do the right thing. They do not behave like thirteen year olds. And their banter is sharp and witty - and somehow just lovely. The sections where they create their back story by making up memories of their relationship were beautifully done. Of course there is a little conflict because, well, there has to be, right? But there is no over the top drama.

I think this author could probably write a book about paint drying and make it interesting, fun, and probably a little steamy too. This book serves up all that with a cherry on top, and I enjoyed the heck of it.

A boyfriend for hire...what is not to love. this book made me L.O.L with the family antics and competitive challenges.
Both characters are extremely likable and you cant wait to see where there love story takes them.
Devoured this book in a day and cant wait to see what else Lauren is bringing out soon.

The annual Hamilton family reunion is approaching, and April Hamilton is a little weary about returning home without a date on her arm for the festivities, it would be so much easier if she were dating someone that she could take home to meet her family. But after her last relationship ended in disaster she decided to stray away from men for a while and focus on herself and her work. Then a friend suggests she hire a date for the festivities, so she hits up a website, and finds herself a fake boyfriend... and a whole lot more that she bargained for, her fake date might just be her soul mate!

Theo Banks burns the candle at both ends, working two jobs to make ends meet, and to try and pay off an insurmountable debt that has been haunting him for a while now... and he is so close to being debt free, he just needs one more date for hire job to make it happen. Then out of the blue he receives a call from a woman in need of a buffer, someone who can make her overbearing family believe that they are madly in love, and she hopes he is the man who can help her with that. It sounds like an easy enough job so he signs up for it, packs his bags and is ready to head off and meet the family... sounds like a perfect little getaway!

The Real Deal was an absolute delight, the moment I cracked the cover I found myself completely mesmerized by these amazing characters, and their little adventure! These two were quite the pair, neither looking for love, but the moment they met they knew there was something there that could not be denied, it started off as a game of pretend, and quickly became something a whole lot hotter! It was so much fun to watch them navigate these new feelings, and being bombarded with questions from April's family, they had me giggling, swooning, and smiling throughout! I highly recommend you get your hands on this one, it's a lighthearted tale certain to leave your heart overflowing!!

I requested an advanced copy of this title, and I am voluntarily leaving my honest opinion.

A rom-com at its finest. This book reminded me why I love this author's work. The witty banter between the main character's, April and Theo, along with the some serious chemistry, and a sprinkle of some meddling friends and relatives equals a great story. I had a very difficult time putting this book down because it all flowed so well. The story is the full package; sweet, funny, spicy, quirky, with a little trouble in paradise. The author's ability to write conversation between characters that masters verbal foreplay made this book all the more swoon worthy (dirty talk goals). If you're a fan of the author's work, this book will not disappoint, and if you're new to the author's work than this is a great place to start.

Sweet, sexy, funny and addictive. Definitely addictive, I could not put this book down. The story, a fake boyfriend for hire, was not in anyway unusual, both Theo and April had their reasons for doing this and they were hell bent on not being in a real relationship with each other, or anyone else for that matter. I fell instantly in love with Theo, I loved his sense of humour, his inadequacies, his loyalty and the way I imagine he looks. April too, had an awesome sense of humour, their banter and conversations together were heartwarming, they certainly made my heart go pitter patter. I especially loved their imaginary world. April’s family were wonderful, they gave me many laugh out loud moments. I loved the writing. Perfect. This book really is The Real Deal. I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is my honest review.

The Real Deal by Lauren Blakely

Ahh! I love me a good fake relationship book!

Neither Theo or April are in the market for a relationship: April needs a fake boyfriend to get her well-meaning family off her back and Theo is trying to make enough money to pay the piper. When April answers his (hilarious) ad and they meet up to sort out the terms of their faux-relationship, it’s immediately evident that these two won’t last without some conditions being broken.

April has been burned by men far too many times and the last being used as ‘the other woman’. She’s not a man-hater at all, but she is on a firm dating diet and is putting all her energy into getting the one particular job she’s after. Theo has had it hard. After his parents passed away, he and his brother were sent to live with an uncaring aunt and essentially left to fend for themselves. He’s not a woe is me kind of man. He’s just doing what he must to get his and his brothers lives sorted out, without any complications. April and Theo were perfect together and I’m so glad they worked through their pasts in the way that they did.

This book was FUN! In fact, I read with a smile the entire time. From April’s family practically pushing her into the arms of every available man in Wistful to the swoony ’remember whens’ murmured between two people who are desperate not to cross the line, The Real Deal was a real delight.

*I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

**Reviewed by Melinda for Joandisalovebooks Blog.

You'll never guess all the things you can find in Craigslist, Including Boyfriend for hire. No not that kind of "boyfriend" this one's completely platonic but offers a wide variety of a la carte options to make it more believable. That's what Theo Banks did to supplement his income as a bartender. He has a colorful past that he's trying to put behind him and just looking to make money while keeping his integrity.
April Hamilton is tired of her family's attempts at matchmaking and in her last effort to thwart the fixups she hires Theo as her boyfriend. She isn't expecting the instant attraction, especially since she's on a man diet as she focuses on her career. Five days in close quarters at her family reunion can only lead to sparks. And when past and present collide the situation gets even stickier.

I was given an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and independent review.

Sweet, romantic and sexy, this book is just pure escapism. Easy to read, a bit of frivolous summer holiday reading.

3.5 stars

This was a very charming and amusing book. The hero and heroine have unique professions. April paints people for a living - not the flowers on little kids’ cheeks at the fair kind of human painting, but for music videos, a Sports Illustrated sort of swimsuit edition. Google it - it’s really a big deal for some people. She’s good and she makes a decent living. However, she hasn’t had luck in love and she’s dreading going home for her family reunion without a guy because she knows that everyone will try to match her up with guys in their quaint little Connecticut town. So she ends up hiring Theo who is a bartender who moonlights as a date for hire. He has a Craigslist ad for his talents that will just crack you up. He also is just scraping by in New York City as he’s trying to earn enough money to pay off his older brother’s debt to a former girlfriend.

Of course April and Theo start falling for each other right away. Their conversation is witty, interesting, and sexy. I always enjoy authors who can write dialogue that help you to understand why two people would fall in love with each other.

April’s family is a hoot and their reunion family competition sounds like a lot of fun. Theo has only his brother and a pretty hard scrabble past after his parents both died when he was a young teenager. He and his brother were able to get along with grifting though both have gone straight now.

This book was a lot of fun. The characters were interesting, different, and entertaining. It was definitely the real deal.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

The real Deal
This book is so cute. Theo and April are a true love story. What happens when you hire a boyfriend? It’s nothing but magic. You fall in love with both characters. I love that they both come from different lives.
Theo touched me more and tears for him.
This book got me.

4.5 Stars - I was worried that this one would be pretty cheesy, due to the cover. But I actually thought it was really really good. The characters are quirky and their relationship walks the line between romantic and banter-y. and in-the-gutter. I thought that their dialogue was really fun and amusing, and I liked how Theo did so many funny roles and accents. It made their relationship a lot of fun. The chemistry was also really really good. Very intense, lots of very steamy moments. It was pretty darn slow burn too, which I was a fan of. I loved the family reunion setting, and April's quirky family members. Overall the story just worked for me and I think it is tied for first in the contemporary romance category for this year!

I loved this book and these characters! April needs a date to her hometown family reunion. Her family won't stop trying to fix her up with hometown guys to get her to move home. She had a date set up with a friend but when that falls through she is referred to Theo. His services are numerous, platonic, and hilarious. He can be anything you want but doesn't get romantically involved with his clients. Of course, over time they can't resist each other. Delicious, funny, sexy, sweet.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.” 

This book was everything I wanted it to be and more. (I knew Lauren Blakely wouldn't disappoint me).

This book is about one of my favorite subjects: fake relationships.

When April Hamilton's fake-boyfriend, Xavier, can't make it to her family's reunion, he gives her the contact info to one of his friends, Theo, who is actually a boyfriend-for-hire. As soon as she reads the ad on Craigslist (wich was hilarious btw) she decides Theo would be the perfect man for the job.

They start exchanging e-mails but as soon as they meet in person they feel the instant chemistry they have and they fall into an easy fake relationship, they invent this cute and weird stories and they just fit together so well. They love to talk to each other and they laugh together and invent stories about their fake sex life, and they're just so cute and fun to read.

They soon realize that they may not be acting after all and have real feelings for each other, but both have reasons not to act on their feelings.

One thing I've always loved about Lauren Blakely's books it's that they have just the right amount of drama, just enough to make it interesting without bordering on annoying and I'm happy to say this book was not the expection, it was perfect well balanced.

April's family was also one of the things I've loved, they all had their little stories and that's what makes a story interesting, that every character has something to say, in this case we got a chance to see a little something about the lifes of a few of her relatives.

I love unexpected situations and getting surprised about what a character is about to say or do, and this book has all of those things. (Don't want to spoil much, but this family doesn't have exactly "normal" reunions).

And it has one of those meaningful cute, completely fitting endings that make my heart flutter.

So in a few words, this book was amazing!

And I loved the Mister O reference in the epilogue.

This was my first Lauren Blakely romance and it will not be my last. I hate that I have a ton of her books on my Kindle, but haven't read any yet. That changes now! This story was fantastic! I really felt the instant chemistry between April and Theo. I loved the way they talked to each other. It was so sexy and made the build up so intense! Definitely recommend this quick, fun read!

I loved this book! It was a fun read and the storytelling between the two main characters really increased the fun factor in this book. I would highly recommend this book for someone looking for a fun summer read!! Can't wait to read more by Lauren Blakely!!

The Real Deal by Lauren Blakely is a quick, funny read. Theo is a bartender and a boyfriend for hire; he can be your best friend, boy next door or bad boy. April is dreading her upcoming family reunion as all the women are trying to fix her up with someone in her hometown in hopes she will leave New York and move back there. She decides to hire Theo after her friend Xavier is unable to attend and suggests that Theo could help her. Will her family figure out that they are not really together? Will more develop between Theo and April as they spend five days together? Will they be able to keep what’s real and what is acting separate?
I liked the idea of the story and the characters are realistic and likeable. Some parts are very funny as they compete in games and try to keep up the pretense of being in love at the reunion. Personally, I could have done without the explicit sexual talk and scenes but I know some enjoy that. I give this book 4 of 5 stars. I think it will mostly appeal to 20-30 something readers.