The Real Deal by Lauren Blakely is a fun and flirty story. April Hamilton needs a boyfriend to bring home to meet her parents so that they will get off her case. Luckily for her she finds Theo Banks' ad. Theo is an expert at exactly what April needs. Coming across as the real deal boyfriend, but just pretending, really well.

The idea of this story is reminiscent of the movie, The Wedding Date, but these characters are very different. While there was an immediate connection between them, dealing with April's crazy family gives them real experiences with each other and as the lines between pretend and real start to blur we get to see April and Theo really grow and blossom together.

Overall I had a lot of fun reading The Real Deal by Lauren Blakely and recommend it if you are looking for a fun, fake to real, romance story. The characters really connected and brought the whole thing together.

(I voluntarily reviewed an advance review copy of this book I received for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my open and honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.)

Theo. He's the not-so-bad guy you can't help falling for. And April is a woman who you want to be friends with. This story is funny, sweet, romantic, and yes...sexy. A story you'll be happy to get lost in!

When April Hamilton’s plan for her family’s reunion falls through, she ends up hiring an unknown guy to play the part of her boyfriend in front of her family.
Theo Banks has always struggled to make ends meet and the boyfriend-for-hire gig comes when he needs it most.  What he couldn’t foresee was the attraction to the witty, beautiful girl who hired him for the long weekend.
In the spirit of “The Wedding Date”, Ms. Blakely delivers another smart and sexy story about an unseemly couple falling in love during a weekend visit to a small eastern coastal town with the backdrop of close knit family, amusement park rides and silly games.
True to Ms. Blakely’s style The Real Deal is a fun, fast read, filled with laughter and romance.  Whether you are already a fan or new to her books, you are sure to enjoy April and Theo’s story.

4 stars

Whenever I get a chance to read my favorite author, Lauren Blakely, I'm always crazy excited. The Real Deal is a legit fantastic romantic comedy. Fake boyfriend tropes are a good time waiting to happen. Full of funny, fake stories, sexual tension and finally an HEA I've been dying for. In the case of April and Theo, I was entranced by their chemistry from the get-go.

April needs a fake boyfriend for a family reunion. While her family keeps trying to set her with town locals to encourage her to move back home, she's perfectly content living in the big city. Enter, Theo. A little bit of a bad boy with a past, he's the perfect boyfriend-for-hire with a full menu of characters to chose from. He's quite the catch.

As they attend the family reunion together, the family antics are hilarious. Never have I read such a FUN and competitive family reunion. What a BLAST!! 

While The Real Deal is a ton of fun and torturous with a slow burn, it was a little darker in areas that I'm not used to seeing in LB's books. Fans of Lauren Blakely will surely like this addition to their summer reading lists.

4.5 stars!

The book is more than the blurb in this one. April and Theo have chemistry to spare. What starts out as a boyfriend-for-hire gig turns into so much more...the real deal!

This book has all the wittiness you expect from a Lauren Blakely novel.

It was cute, witty, hot, steamy and just all around enjoyable. Of course there's some bumps in the road and April gets a dose of reality at the part she's playing in deceiving her family, but all is right in the end.

Enjoyable read for sure.

I voluntarily requested and reviewed an uncorrected advance reader copy from the publisher via Net Galley.

4.5☆
The Real Deal is absolutely adorable! April and Theo are trying to fake their relationship, but they can't fake their fantastic chemistry. I love well they play off each other and their slow burn. I really like the build up with their story and enjoy the storyline a lot! Theo has a very interesting background and I really liked what that element added to the story. These two were so freaking cute together and I just adored their story!

April Hamilton is living in New York City much to the dismay of her parents.  They want their little girl to find a great guy and settle back in their hometown of Wistful, CT.  Too bad April enjoys her life in NY, especially her job of painting people.  When April has to go back home for the annual family reunion, she decides to hire a pretend boyfriend for the weekend long celebration that her friend Xavier recommended.  

Enter Theo Banks.  He will play any part, bad boy, guy next store, etc based on each person situational needs, but never anything emotional or physical.  So what happens when Theo first meets April.....BAM....instant attraction.  This attraction will make the job easy to pretend, but also hard because he wants more from April than what they agreed to.

Over the course of the weekend, April and Theo are having a hard time keeping their hands off of each other.  When they finally give in to their desires, the past will come back to haunt them.

This was such a great, fun, sexy story that I laughed out loud at many times.  I just adored both Theo and April.  They were both jaded from events in their pasts, but together they were able to move forward.  Read this, you won't regret it!

Love the real deal. Lauren Blakely words and stories are amazing. Really enjoyed reading this book. Love everything. I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

It was supposed to be just a job. For months April had a plan but it backfired and now she has to rely on Theo. By all counts he is perfect but the thing is Lauren Blakely doesn't make this is an easy fall in love story. We have two people who are playing a game yet when the heart gets in the way one must choose. I loved that these two are funny, shy and afraid to really go into it. Another great hit by Lauren Blakely creating a beautiful book of the possibilities in just believing. 

"I received an eBook copy from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own."

"As I let my eyes play tour guide, roaming over her body, I force myself to remember - she's not my girlfriend."

WOW THIS BOOK. There are so many awesome things I want to say about this book, but I'll keep it short and spoiler-free. This story is so sweet, intense, and funny. The ad is especially hilarious! The characters are perfect for each other and perfectly crafted. They have a ton of chemistry from the very beginning, and surprise each other a lot, which keeps things interesting and shows how they fall for each other. Even though it's unlikely that they work from the beginning - he's a boyfriend-for-hire with an ugly past while she's a successful body painter with a squeaky clean childhood. The conflict and tension speak for themselves here!

"Hearts are dumb organs. That's why I'm glad whatever I'm feeling won't matter in the end - this is all pretend, and it's precisely what I ordered on Craigslist."

The whole story is expertly crafted, which is something I respected and was in awe of. Every detail, scene, dialogue, setting description - it's all beautifully and carefully constructed. I could feel every word down to my toes! The banter in particular was my favorite - "just because" and "Do you remember...?" Gah I melted for April and Theo. 

"I've no patience for boring kisses after Theo Banks. Nor should you. Kiss like the world is on fire. Kiss like nothing else exists. Insist on it. Demand kisses that make the world disappear."

This was my first Lauren Blakely book, although she's been on my radar for a while now, ever since I met her in Austin a few years back. I actually have a slightly embarrassing story of how we met, but I'll save that for another time :) Can't wait to read more of hers!

4.5 Stars 

'I’ve had many clients. Keeping it platonic has never been an issue since I’ve never been attracted to a customer. Until now. Looks like I’ll be getting familiar with how to resist temptation. '

When April is set to visit her hometown for a big family reunion she knows she’s going to need a buffer. Her family can’t understand why she’s wasting her time in NYC when she can settle down with a nice young man in her small hometown. When her friend has to bail on her at the last minute he refers her to a Craigslist ad that his friend posted advertising his fake boyfriend for hire services. His ad is both entertaining and intriguing and April figures she’s got nothing to lose. Sparks fly the first time she meets Theo but they’ve committed to adhering to his strict rules about keeping their arrangement platonic. They give it a valiant effort but the more time they spend together partaking in her family’s silly activities the harder it becomes to deny the chemistry between them. Has April found the real deal with Theo or has everything that’s happened between them just been part of the ruse? 

'It’s only been a few days with her, and I should not feel this way, but my heart pounds harder, my bones hum, and I can’t get enough of her. '

The Real Deal is another winner from Lauren Blakely! I loved the fresh spin on the fake relationship trope, having Theo be, more or less, a professional fake boyfriend. His Craigslist ad was clever and funny and I loved how it wove its way all the way to the end of the book. Theo and April were great characters, realistic and people you can picture being friends with. The dialogue was witty, charming, and full of humor and great little insights. I thought they had great chemistry and the story was steamy and romantic. The backdrop of April’s family reunion added an extra element of fun and a whole host of great secondary characters. This book was fun from start to finish and I am totally in love with the epilogue, such a perfect and fitting conclusion to this sweet story! If you’re a fan of Lauren Blakely you won’t want to miss this one and if you’re new to her, I think this is a perfect introduction to her work and a highly enjoyable summer read!

'Maybe this started as a ruse, but it’s turning into something else.'

I can’t think of another author who is more prolific than Lauren Blakely! While most of her books stand alone, I love the fact that I get to read a new book of hers on a quarterly basis and they’re all absolutely fabulous! In The Real Deal we meet an unlikely hero with a checkered past who is playing by the book without involving his heart, until he meets a woman who is the real deal. April loves her family but she hates when they try to set her up with single guys, hoping she’ll fall in love and move home to their little town in Connecticut, which is why she needs Theo as a buffer. Little does she know that this year’s family reunion will be filled with fun, games and love because Theo is the real deal too! A fun, flirty, sexy new standalone that grabbed me by the heart and wouldn’t let go. I read an early copy of this book through NetGalley and all opinions expressed in my voluntary review are completely my own.

“I want to see how she looks beneath me, falling apart into a thousand beautiful pieces.” 

In true Lauren Blakely fashion, she made me smile, laugh, blush, and swoon all over the damn place with her latest standalone romance, THE REAL DEAL. It’s hard to express the pure joy that comes over me when I get to dive into a new romance by one of my favorite authors. Blakely knows what her readers want…what they crave…what they need in their lives right now, and THE REAL DEAL was THAT for me. April and Theo were such a delight! Their chemistry and their connection was absolutely PERFECTION! From start to finish, these characters had me hooked! If you’re looking for a romance that takes it to the next level, look no further than THE REAL DEAL! It was sexy, sweet, hilarious, charming, and chock-full of the kind of romance we all dream about! I absolutely ADORED this book!

I am so in love with Lauren Blakely's books and when I read this blurb I was mad to read the book. I love books with fake dating and even more if it's a light, fast and fun romantic comedy.

Theo is a struggling boy who needs to pay off a debt of the past and offers to accompany girls in situations where they need a man.

April is tired of her family arranging dates for her in the hope that she will return to her small hometown while she only wants to pursue her career after several frustrated dates.

When the day comes to see her family and participate in a competition and she ends up losing her friend Xavier to be her fake boyfriend, she agrees to hire Theo and that's where our adventure begins.

The attraction between the two of them is fulminant and as each one opens their heart to the other the connection increases and we become more and more addicted and in love with the couple.

I loved the plot made in the ideal dose for me, I loved the point of unexpected conflict and I especially loved April's family and the end.

Lauren Blakely does it again with the Real Deal.  Her flair for storytelling, character development, and fantastic locations shine through in her new standalone romance. 

Theo Banks (love this name!) needs money and working as a bartender just doesnt cut it.  On the side, he offers his services as a fake boyfriend but he has very specific rules that must be followed.  No touching being the biggest.  Being an actor and taking each situation as a chance to develop a character has worked well for him in the past - that is until he meets April Hamilton.  Attending her family reunion and sharing a room and pretending to share her life changes everything.  Now Theo has to let down his guard and trust that April will understand his deception.

April needs help and a fake boyfriend is just what she needs.  This will satisfy her family and she doesn't have to worry about feelings being involved.  When her friend backs out of the week and recommends Theo she knows she is in trouble - because the feelings she is having and the tingling every time he touches her cant all be fake.  But having real feelings is not part of the deal. 

I love Ms Blakely's writing style and have over the course of her library.  The last few books she has written though seem to go deeper and have evoked more than ever before and  I am so happy to say that the Real Deal does this and so much more.  The story is well thought out and told in dual POV's the audience gets to see both Theo and April's journey which I love.  The secondary characters are just as fantastic - especially April's BFF and parents and Theo's brother.  They bring another layer to the story and I couldn't image the story without them.   Ms  Lauren has done it again and the Real Deal is worthy of one of my favorite books in 2018.

As much as I liked the idea of this novel, I didn't really click with either of the characters and I the book, as a whole, was a little over the top for me. It was still funny and entertaining, but not a novel that rocked my world.

Theo Banks is IRRESISTIBLE!

I’m so in love with this book! Theo is my new favorite hero! He’s not perfect, but he’s pretty darn close. From his sexy swagger to his good heart, from his charming personality to his witty humor, this man will steal your heart and you aren’t getting it back. His past might have been rocky to say the least, but that past helped to create the man he’s become. Like I said...irresistible.

April is girl-crush worthy! I loved her! She’s smart, witty, and insanely talented. She’s also independent and marches to the beat of her own drum, much to the dismay of her family. She’s got her life all figured out. Now if she can just convince them of that. But I’m glad she didn’t, because then how would she have ever met Theo?

These two together are PERFECT! From funny banter to heated sexual innuendo, Theo and April will have you wrapped up in their magic. I fell in love with them the minute they met. This book is packed full of feels! Sweet, steamy, sexy, and everything in between - this book is fantastic! A definite must-read for any Lauren Blakely fan.

After reading Lauren Blakely novella Stud Finder, I knew that I had to read more of her books. When I read the synopsis for The Real Deal, I was intrigued and could not wait to read it.

April Hamilton loves her job as a body painter and loves living her NYC lifestyle. Unfortunately her family does not understand her job and why she has to live in the big city. So they are constantly playing matchmaker hoping that one of the local men will lure her back home to Wistful, Connecticut.

April knows her love life will be the talk of her family reunion, so she hires Theo Banks to be her pretend boyfriend. It’s just for a few days and all they have to do is pretend to be in love so her family can finally stop with the blind dates. How hard can it be?

It did take me awhile to get into the story and it was not until April and Theo was on their way to Wistful that I saw the chemistry that they had. I enjoyed getting to see their relationship progress throughout the story. They had never really put their hearts out on the line before and they were willing to try with each other.

April was a great heroine. She truly loved her job and just wanted her family to be proud of her. I adored her family and I had a lot of laugh out loud moments as they competed in the various games. 

Theo’s past was so heart wrenching. He was such a genuine person always putting the people he loved before himself.

Overall, I enjoyed reading The Real Deal. If you want a fun romantic comedy with a lot of heart, then definitely pick up The Real Deal.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Before diving into this novel, I knew I was going to enjoy it because of the fake dating trope. April is going home for a family reunion, but doesn't want to deal with her family trying to set her up with anyone, so she hires Theo to be her fake boyfriend for the weekend.

Overall this was a funny, light hearted book. I enjoyed the characters, their chemistry seemed believable, and the speed of their relationship also seemed believable. I loved the setting of the book, at April's family reunion, where there's plenty of family stuff going on.

I definitely think the first half of the book was way better than the second half. There were some things that happened that felt really unbelievable, and would not have occurred with two people that only knew each other for two or three days. Because of the events that did not fit in with the rest of the story, I had to lower my rating.

Theo has a past. One he isn't proud of but he was young and he and his brother did what they had to survive and go to college. But he has also learned people are very judgmental. He is a bartender who on the side gets paid to be a pretend boyfriend, no sex is include. He is a great con man. 
April loves the big city and loves her job painting on humans. She does elaborate work and is so good she is hoping to win a job at a prestigious magazine. He family don't get it and want he home. So they are always trying to set he up with men back home. When her family reunion coming up she hears about Theo who plays any part you need him to play. So she hires him to be her fake boyfriend.
Right from the start these two characters connect. Their connection is real. They have witty little conversations making up their past dating. It's actually really sweet, and funny. I loved April's family and the fun reunion games.
But as most romances go something always happens and the truth comes out... I actually hurt for Theo. Very little angst in this story and a really sweet ending.