This story is quirky and adorable. These characters are fun, and absolutely unforgettable. I laughed and couldn’t get enough!

This book was such a great book! I really loved the characters! Lauren Blakley writes such great romance!

5 Real, Real Stars
* * * * *

Spoiler Free

First, understand this is a Terrific Rom/Com. However, I have some thoughts first of what this story brings to the table...

Each of us are unique. We are products of our genetics, how we are nurtured and what we experience in our formative years. That doesn't say whatever happened is set in stone or people have no control of their lives. It is how we react and the challenges we have to handle allow us to make changes and grow.

In Lauren Blakely's The Real Deal, she takes all of those ideas and makes them relatable. We are able to see many of the challenges these characters go through and remember possible situations we went through, too. I mean, how many times have you had to explain to your parents exactly what your career is...how just because it may not fit into the standard configuration of Lawyer, Doctor or Teacher...it is just as rewarding and fulfilling.

Or what about those who had life deal them a heartbreaking hand... where families are not picture perfect and children end up having to raise themselves. Where trying to keep a roof over their heads and food in their bellies shape more than what society deemed fit...

Some of these circumstances may not seem to be equally important... but then again, people can only judge from their own lives... so when presented with individual challenges...each has weight and we dig in to figure out how we handle them.


So with that being said, picture the woman who has taken the road less traveled. April Hamilton came from one of those families that was close knit, financially more than solid, was invested in what their children did with their lives and if that wasn't enough....lived in a small community.


Her family loved her unconditionally yet truly didn't understand how successful April was in her chosen profession. She was a sought after body painter... the one who made models look as if they were wearing clothes when they were naked... or created them into snarling animals. She had paid her dues in the toughest market, New York City, but to them she was still the teen who painted butterflies on kids cheeks at the town fairs. All they wanted was her to settle down and move back home.


And on April's last visit, she made a critical error; she got a little drunk and shared how she had been done wrong by the last guy she was with. An Asshat had played her good. He was juggling her and a WIFE! So when she lamented about the situation, others heard her and decided to step up.


Yup, that small community was the kind that was in Everyone's Business so when the annual family reunion approaches, April starts receiving emails about different men who are available to meet for coffee, walks or any number of other things...


Gahhh, April knew her family loved her but she was not moving back to her hometown and did not want to be the object of fix ups during this visit. She reached out to her good friend and lined him up to pretend to be in a relationship with her. Unfortunately, at the last minute, he got a professional offer for the same time he couldn't refuse.


He did have an idea, though. He told April about Theo Banks who does these type of pretend dates for a living. He is the guy you can hire to be the Break Up Guy, the Sh!t Disturber for an In Your Face Family Event, or the Best Boyfriend Ever...April is really stuck, trusts her friend as he vouches for Theo, so she reaches out.


Theo does this business of Pretend Guy and does it well. Presenting a different persona or acting has been something he has done from a very young age. He and his brother had to figure out how to keep a roof over their heads...and slowly came into understanding what they could do...As they developed into men, choices were made, lessons learned and Theo is close to making his final obligation from those years be done.


When April reaches out to Theo for this week visit, she hasn't decided yet if this is happening. They both chat a bit and from the very first moment, there is this connection. It is as if they start this dance... one comment is met with a another and soon a story is formed of how they met, their attraction and when they knew...It is banter, laughs and thrilling in the speed they connect. April decides this is happening, lays out the needs and Theo makes sure April understands the rules... He is a pretend boyfriend, not a Lay. Both are on board.


Over the course of a few days, they text... with fast responses feeding into each other... smart, funny, sarcastic, quick. Both are a bit intrigued and taken with each other...and both keep remembering no hanky-panky.


The day arrives for the train ride to the town, April is nervous because this is it, she is meeting him for the first time...Theo comes towards her and she has to just relax. They talk on the ride...and then April drops the bomb... this reunion is going to be a bit more then expected. People she does not wish to see may be there and then there is her competitive family. Theo looks deeply into April's eyes and tells her he's got it.


I LOVED THIS BOOK. The level of layers and concern for the characters is just right. The swoon worthy moments are there. The respect and consideration for April by Theo is there. April learns to appreciate being cared for...and Theo is the one to show her how wonderful she is outside of her career.


Their chemistry is off the charts and everything you could want. There is more then just fun and games, though. We do have complications which add challenges for Theo. He has some reckoning to handle and learn from.


Lauren Blakely's writing works in so many ways for so many readers. There is a reason; She just gets how to rope you in from the start, gets you to care for both of the main characters and gives you a romance to make your heart sing. What more could you want...whatever it could be... She's got that covered too!


A gifted copy was provided by author for an honest review.

I can always count on Lauren Blakely to write a great romance! The Real Deal is a sweet rom com that had me smiling and laughing and wishing I had a Theo of my own.

In my opinion, characters make or break romantic comedies. I want characters to be relatable with witty internal dialogue and flaws that make me feel like I’m not the only person on the planet with embarrassing stories and issues. I absolutely got what I wanted from this book! I loved-loved-loved April and Theo!

I thought the plot was fun! Fake relationships are one of my favorite literary tropes, and it was executed really well here. I also enjoyed the family dynamic in this one a lot. My only complaint is that I didn’t feel like the story was long enough — the ending seemed a bit rushed. Sometimes I need the tiniest bit more of the ‘happily ever after.’

Overall, The Real Deal is a definite recommend! This is a short, fast read and the perfect pick-me-up!

April needed a date for her family reunion. Tired of her family constantly trying to set her up on a date she takes matters into her own hands. She needed help! Who came to her rescue. Theo was able to be anyone. He would step in at a moments notice and be hired to be her stand in. It was only supposed to be a job but it turned into the experience of a lifetime.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC from Netgalley.

You know, this was actually a nice, enjoyable read. EXCEPT for the editing!!! I was getting so frustrated that I had to put it down numerous times which was a real shame. Please, someone, do some editing. I would've given this 4.5 stars but for the editing.

5 There's So Much More Than Meets The Eye Stars!!

I absolutely freaking loved this book so much!!! I immediately connected with April and Theo. April is a woman that doesn't want to face her family's constant matchmaking shenanigans so she goes to Craigslist and finds what she thinks is the perfect answer...hiring a boyfriend for her family reunion weekend. You'd think it'd be a simple thing right? There's a contract and two people who have agreed how this weekend will look.

Yeah, not so much... everything changes when they hit April's hometown in Connecticut and watching it unfold was so fun!

As April and Theo grow closer and their relationship changes with each passing hour and day, they find they have more in common than they originally thought. Throw in some family drama and some laugh out loud funny moments including a scavenger hunt and obstacle courses and you get the picture!

Ms. Blakely has created characters that I fell in love with upon meeting them and I found myself engaged fully into this story and their love!

Lauren Blakely is such a comfort read for me. Her books are always good and manage to be funny and sexy at the same time without being over the top. I kind of wanted April's family to adopt me and really wanted more time with them rather than the main couple which is the reason for my 3 star rating rather than a 4 star as usual. Definitely a good, fun read and perfect to snuggle up with right now as the days get colder.

One of my favorite rom-coms ever is The Wedding Date starring Debra Messing and Durmot Mulroney. It's seriously one of those movies that I can watch over and over and over and never get sick of it.

As I was reading The Real Deal, I kept thinking about all the similarities between this book and The Wedding Date. Make no mistake - the plots are not identical. It's not like Lauren Blakely ripped off the plot or anything. But, all the wonderful parts of the movie that make it one of the most happy, feel-good romances are present in The Real Deal alongside tons of witty, truly hilarious dialog that I've come to expect from Lauren Blakely.

Like in The Wedding Date, April hires Theo to be her pretend boyfriend for a weekend reunion with her meddling, but lovable, family. The weekend includes silly games, sleeping in the same bedroom and other potential suitors, all of which result in April and Theo's pretend feelings becoming very real.

Theo is especially conflicted because he makes it a point to make all of his pretend boyfriend gigs strictly platonic. He's not a gigolo and doesn't ever want to cross that line. But, he feels like April is this kindred spirit that matches his right from the beginning. There's a spark and she makes him laugh and want things that he's not supposed to want.

The Real Deal is real magic. The chemistry between our two main characters practically jumps off the page. They're completely adorable as they make up their meet-cute story to tell April's relatives and then try and deny their true feelings. The writing is absolutely brilliant. I dare you not to laugh out loud and swoon repeatedly. This book was pure joy to read, and it was over way too quickly.

Let me first say that The Real Deal is charmingly sweet and at the same time it's not sugar-saturated. The right amount of romance with a bit of an edge to keep you entertained as you read it in the evenings, curled up in your pyjamas. The story is not a portrayal of a modern-day fairy tale (not like such thing exists, right?), but tackles some real life issues here and there. 

April and Theo are strong-willed, determined, free-spirited and interesting on their own merit, but together they are extra sweet and spicy. They have their strengths and flaws, which makes them human. They are well-written and the dialogue is funny and quite good!

The novel grabs the attention from the beginning and sustains it throughout. There are no page fillers of nothingness, which is exactly what I like - straight to the point goodness. The setting is a bit unusual, but for all the right reasons - it helps the plot stands out from the crowd and brings something new to the genre. Did I say it's also 20s-somethings-relatable? Well, it is. If you are coming from a small town and your whole family is trying to convince you to leave the city and get back in there, this book is straight up your alley. Plus, there's the romance. A lot of it.

I have kindly received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange of a fair review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved this book! I was hooked from the first to last page! I couldn't put it down. I loved it so much I got the audible as well. Such a fun swoon worthy romance. I love the chemistry between the character, it is truly electric. I love this author and always look forward to her books!

The fake relationship trope has always been hit or miss for me because it is so often filled with over the top miscommunication and convoluted maneuvering by the MCs to sell the set up. Most oftentimes, the family that the fake relationship is supposed to fool is either horrible or just cartoonishly OTT. Although the family did rub me the wrong way, I expected it and the author handles it with ease and balances humor and emotion. The story flowed well and I really loved April and Theo separately and even more as a couple. It was really refreshing to read a story really centered around the relationship and see it grow. It was also great to have two such relatable and NORMAL people. They felt like people you could actually meet IRL and become friends with. Their chemistry and banter was off the charts and had me smiling so many times through the book.

*I received a free copy of the book to read and review provided by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Great rom-com book. The chemistry that the two main characters had was excellently done and made it unputdownable.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

April Hamilton is tired of her family trying to set her up with men from her hometown every time she goes home. To get them off her back, she hires Theo Banks to pretend to be her boyfriend for her family reunion. Theo has been working as a boyfriend-for-hire to pay back a debt his brother owes, and the money from pretending to be April's boyfriend for 5 days will just about cover the rest of that debt. They both feel an immediate, intense attraction, though, and they aren't sure what will be harder – pretending to be a couple or pretending that they don't have very real feelings.

I thought it was cool that April was a body painter; that's not a profession you hear or think about too often. The story was a lot racier than I expected based on the cover. (I know; I know; don't judge a book by its cover...) This was the first book I've read by Lauren Blakely; if I had looked at the covers of most of her past books, I probably would have stayed away. The story itself was cute, your typical romance plot with nothing that incredibly stood out.

Lauren Blakely knows how to write a great romance! This was fast paced and gripping. It really pulls you in and holds on tight. I could not put it down. Definite recommend. 4/5

The Real Deal was a wonderfully enjoyable rom com. It was sweet, witty, romantic and a real feel good book. This is one of those books that will leave you with a smile after reading.

When it comes to Lauren Blakely I expect a refreshing story that just hits me in the feels. Her books are always so brilliant, and just... her.

I loved and enjoyed every single word. I can't say anything that will do this book justice, so I just have to say... read it!

I received a free arc in return for a honest review.
What a fun rom com! Blakely is always on my must buy list. Fast pace, flirty, and sexy. Lots of fun!!

Loved this story! It is just a feel good story with a new twist to the pretend boyfriend. What could possibly go wrong when April hires Theo to pose as her boyfriend for her family reunion? He can be anyone he wants her to be. Irritate the parents, no problem. April didn't plan for the man behind the mask. Theo never crosses the line when he is working. April is the first client he would risk her job for. What happens when playing house starts to feel real? Super fun read.

What a heartwarming story that put a big smile on my face. I loved from start to finish. Lauren Blakely knows how to write RomCom.
Highly recommend!