Cute. Good chemistry. Theo is hired as a “boyfriend” for April’s family reunion and the platonic agreement soon turns to more. Some insta-love but it was done in the non-annoying way. A good contemporary romance to escape into for a few hours.

Love Romance novels. This was a good one about a girl hiring an actor who is trying to get out of debt to be her pretend boyfriend. This has trouble written all over it. How can you pretend to date someone and not get invested romantically?

The attraction to this book for me is the laidback comedy which works well but it isn’t too over the top and forced. It is a sweet, funny and sexy read which is rare to find.

April needs a boyfriend and Theo is a rent a boyfriend, you can imagine that how that went I’m sure. I love how it starts off as a ‘platonic’ business arrangement but with time and energy, it develops. Oh man it was so delicious to see these two fall for each other especially when that was not why they started ‘dating’ in the first place.

It’s an ideal summer read and I’m glad that I did read it!

4 stars

I absolutely loved this book. It was way fun. These 2 were so good together.. I love how she linked this book to her other series. My kind of safe book.

This is my second Lauren Blakely book, and it is the second to disappoint me. I think my expectations of her are so high based on reviews from others, and I also suspect her style is not to my taste. The Real Deal is okay. It's a fairly straightforward fake date romance. I can appreciate April's struggles with her overbearing family, but Theo's story seemed overwrought and over-dramatic. I never felt compelled by the story itself. I am not big on DNFing books so I pushed through to the end for the sake of a personal reading challenge; otherwise, I think I would have just stopped reading. I may pass on future Blakely titles.

Not my favorite Lauren Blakely. There were a lot of cute parts with this book and I even found myself caring about Theo, and it's hard to make me care about the guy, but I just could not get with April. She just bored me. I wasn't invested in her story at all. She just lost me for this book, but overall I enjoyed the story enough to keep reading. That says a lot with romance books. If they don't interest me, I don't finish them.

This was a fun, fluffy, flirty read. The banter between April and Theo reminds me of the way Rory and Lorelei rapid fire snark back and forth on <i>Gilmore Girls</i>, only with delicious sexual tension, and it's amazing. This is very much a zany rom com and requires a willingness to embrace the wackiness and engage in a suspension of disbelief.

That being said, April's family is fun (though not terribly memorable) and their family reunion tradition is hilarious. I love all the games and things, though I think Blakely could have gone into the games themselves a little more, shown a little of Theo and April's developing relationship there as well. I simply ADORE the stories Theo and April tell each other, and how very into it they both get. They're both kind of weirdos, but the same sort of weird, and it's amazing.

If you love a good rom com about bringing a fake date to a family reunion, check out <i>The Real Deal</i>, and also go read <i>Three Day Fiancée</i> by Marissa Clarke. (I promise you won't regret it!)

A brilliant read from one of my many favourite authors with a brilliant storyline and characters and I will definitely look forward to reading more from you from this author

Theo and April agree to a fake relationship to the benefit of each of them. I found myself sucked into their story and through all the experiences, I was routing for them. And I was not disappointed! I found myself enjoying this story, laughing and swooning!

I found this to be a quick, enjoyable read. Definitely recommended!

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely.

A great sexy introduction to this series. I loved the characters and feel in love with their storyline. Need more from this series.

4.5 Stars!
A great summer read with intriguing characters, witty banter, and a make your heart feel good storyline!

This was a sweet (and steamy) romantic comedy that I really enjoyed!

April is heading home for a family reunion, and to avoid all the matchmaking her family likes to do, she hires a fake boyfriend, Theo, from Craigslist. As you might imagine, they end up falling for each other for real. Obstacles stand in their way, of course, like Theo's bad boy past, and April's "dating diet." Love always finds its way though, doesn't it?

I thought this book was a lot of fun and that the chemistry between April and Theo was very realistic and believable. I loved Theo and his vulnerability the best, and loved watching them fight their connection at first, then let it slowly blossom. The dialogue was witty and lighthearted, and the family reunion that involved Olympic style games was great fun.

Cute, sexy, and fun are the best ways I can think of to describe this romance. I recommend it!

I bow down to the queen of fake relationship to true romances. What's the phrase people say, "Fake it until you make it." Well Theo and April definitely prove faking a relationship can definitely make it. The past of these two have brought them together to help them out. one for family and one for money problems but once they met they make a story that will have anyone fall for them. In every Lauren book you will ever read you know she will bring the humor and love but more importantly the heart. She will make you want the Real Deal in your life.

Theo & April come from different backgrounds and grew up with different experiences.
Theo protects himself because he’s had a tough upbringing and the last person you told the truth to, left him. So now he guards himself and his heart.
April protects herself because she’s had some very bad experiences with guys and has put a vault on dating. She is 100% focused on her job and her carrier.

I love how his book has both of their point of view. You know exactly what they are felling and thinking when something major happens between them. I also like how it’s continues right where the last chapter ends and doesn’t skip.

I don’t want to reveal to much but Theo is amazing! He knew that there was something about April right when he saw her for the first time. I don’t think he knew how it would turn out and what he was feeling exactly, but he was fighting the feelings every second he was with her!

This was a great book and I give it 5 starts!

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Mary Jo – ☆☆☆☆
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars

The characters in this book are well written and the story is very plausible. Most people at one time or another wish that they could rent a boyfriend or girlfriend for a while. Anything to get the family off their back.

No one wants to dread going home for a visit, a family reunion, or wedding, but there are those that do. The endless questions about dating status, potential partners, and the inevitable fix-ups are enough to send April towards a mental breakdown. Then the guy that was going to pretend to be her man for the long weekend gets a gig that he can't get out of and sends Theo her way.

Theo is a man who's had to do most anything to survive after the death of his parents. His latest money-making endeavor is playing the boyfriend-for-hire. No sex, strictly platonic, for just about anything a woman needs. Meeting April throws him for a loop. He doesn't understand her need for a pretend boyfriend but agrees to be the best around – good enough to fool her family.

April likes Theo and when sparks start flying, she wishes that the fake relationship was real. Theo likes April, she's the real deal. He finds that he can talk to her and tell her about things from his past. Most importantly, she doesn't turn away from him but offers compassion for the child that he was.

I did enjoy this book, but at times the texting between the parties took me out of the story.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
I have read a number of Lauren Blakely novels, and enjoy her style and most definitely her sense of humour. Here we have a wonderfully romantic and fabulously fun story of love and adventure.

I really, really enjoyed the crazy five days in the Hamilton B&B, from the maddest games, to the deflowering of April's childhood tree house! Every page is full of the love that exudes from her family and friends and gives Theo quite an insight into just who he has contracted his boyfriend services to this time. And along with the family time, we see two people who unexpectedly find themselves fighting an attraction that was (in our eyes at least) utterly inevitable. Theo trying to make April's dad understand about her career was my favourite non-couple moment. The romance wove through their 'remember when' stories so enchantingly

Throw in an old debt, a dodgy background, and a brother changing the playing fields, and we are treated to a really enjoyable story. Really, just get a copy and enjoy it too!

Lauren Blakely never ceased to amaze me with her RomCom. The Real Deal is a boyfriend-for-hire romance. Even though the storyline was well-used, Lauren's writing style and sense of humour made the book very entertaining. April and Theo had great chemistry and their banter were hilarious. If you're looking for an all over funny, romantic and steamy read then look no further.

I love Lauren Blakely’s books. Lately she’s become a one-click author for me and I have no regrets. THE REAL DEAL is a swoon-worthy tale in one of my favorite romance tropes: the fake relationship. As with all Lauren Blakely books, get ready to swoon, to sigh, and to blush at this sexy work! I couldn’t put it down (and now it’s entirely too late at night but it’s finished!). Definitely check this one out!

Sometimes you come along a book that takes you into its world. The real world may knock but you don’t want to answer because it could take you away from your wonderful story. Lauren Blakely’s The Real Deal is that kind of book. April and Theo are wonderful characters. I loved their stories, their realistic faults, their commitment to what they want and their understanding. Fantastic book not to be missed!

Lauren Blakely is the real deal for contemporary romance. Her latest book, The Real Deal, does not disappoint. Tuck this one into your beach bag and you're in for a treat! Loved it!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Although it starts with a lie, when April hires Theo to be her fake boyfriend at a family reunion, it turns into a real romance for both of them soon enough. Although the story is cliché, the author has written a really cute story with hot sexual chemistry in between April and Theo. I really liked the side stories of April and Theo's siblings. It made the fabric of the novel even richer and fun to read. I didn’t think I would love this book so much and had picked it because I like the "fake boyfriend" trope but after reading it, I would highly recommend this book.

* I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review*