When I first started the story of The Real Deal I wasn't sure I was going to like it.  I am not fond of books that switch back and forth between two people relating their side of the story. I did keep on reading and I am so glad I did as this story is funny, warmhearted, full of fun, family and fantasies fulfilled. I love both the main characters of April and Theo. This story has it all in my opinion from romance, humor, alpha males, sadness, tragedy, blackmail, family high jinks and so much more. An indicator of a good book to me is that I do not want to put it down once I have started it and this book definitely fits that definition.  I do not like to tell the story in my reviews because that irritates me when other reviewers do that and spoil it for those of us who want to read the book without spoilers. I would highly recommend this book and I am already looking for other books by this author. I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review and I appreciate the opportunity to have read this delightful story.

This was my 1st book by Lauren Blakely.  I had wanted to read her books before but hadn't gotten the chance.
The Real Deal is a story about April and Theo. April lives in New York and works as a body paint artist. Theo is a former con-man/psuedo actor/bartender and hired from an ad on Craigslist to be April's pretend boyfriend. April is going home to a family reunion, and doesn't want to deal with her parents and relatives trying to find her a boyfriend in hopes she will move back home.

As the week progresses, April and Theo seem to get along well, and are attracted to each other. They partake in fun games competing for prizes.  Theo thinks if he wins, he could go the straight & narrow and clean up his ways, and he can leave his past behind. As they get to know each other more, they fall for each other, and April thinks things are great. Theo is able to open up to her, however, the past always has a way of catching up with you.

This is an easy read. Great for the summer. Pick up The Real Deal to see the twists and turns of April and Theo and if they get their HEA.

I love a good fake romance and add it the fact it’s written by Lauren Blakely?  Sign me up!

April is home and doesn’t need her family all up in her personal life, or lack thereof.  When the guy she is supposed to take home cancels, April decides to hire Theo to be her pretend boyfriend.  How hard can it be when it’s only for one week?

Theo is a jack of all trades and he can be whomever you want him to be...as long as you’re paying him.  He’s in desperate need of extra cash so renting himself out to April is a smart thing to do..until that job suddenly becomes the real deal.

Dual POVs are my favorite and Theo and April’s crazy, funny ride is one you need to take!  The Real Deal is full of fun, romance and heart, with a pinch of secrets and angst thrown in for good measure.  If you are a Lauren Blakely fan, this is definitely a book for you!

Unfortunately, I’m in the minority on this book. This was just an okay read for me. I thought the writing was good, and the storyline was fine. But, I felt like something was missing. 

I was intrigued by the prologue and looked forward to the story. I enjoyed the family reunion with the games, and everything. And I loved the epilogue.  I liked April enough, but didn’t love Theo. He wasn’t an open book and it was really hard to get to know him, even though every other chapter was from his point of view. You do eventually find out more about him but it’s within some drama at the end of the book. They did have some interesting banter between them but ultimately, I felt like it was a little bit too much like instant love. 
* ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

"Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review."

Loved this book very much.  It had just enough comedy & sweet romance and the storyline was great! I highly recommend!

So awesome!!  Theo and April are too cute.  April, needing to keep her family from setting her up when she goes to the family reunion, hires Theo to be her "plus one" for the event.  And Theo, working as a boyfriend-for-hire to pay off a debt, jumps at the chance to get closer to ending past transgressions.  There are sparks between them from the time they meet, and that complicates their uncomplicated arrangement.

I loved the layers in this story.  April is trying to strike a balance between the career she adores with the family that really doesn't understand why she wants to live in the "big city," and not just come back home where everyone loves her and can help take care of her.  Theo is trying to keep his past behind him, and he's determined to make a better life for himself.  But first, he has to take care of one last thing.

This story was so sweet, so funny, and very heartwarming.  And dirty...there is dirty!  We all have family members sticking their noses in our business, but it's usually coming from a loving place.  And we love them all the same.

The Real Deal is a fantastic book by Lauren Blakely. The story line is unique and funny! The characters are well written, as is the whole book. I loved how Ms. Blakely did the texting parts in the book with the characters, as well as the fake history mentions of the "relationship". I laughed and there were parts where my heart sank. The descriptions of the scenery were amazing and I could picture the setting so well that I could picture the whole reunion, train ride, the town, and everything!  I would highly recommend this!

I absolutely fell in love with this book! Lauren Blakely sure knows how to create the perfect mix of humor and romance. I devoured this book and truly did not want it to end. Clever story, great writing and engaging characters. A definite winner and book I would recommend!

"My heart jumps, and I want to warn it to settle down. But hearts don't listen to heads. When have they ever?"

I was on the edge of sleep last night, but I decided I'll just read a chapter - dip my toe in to see if this was one of those review books that was going to be a breeze, or one that I would need some discipline to get through...ahem, I'm looking at you stack. Cut to me still not sleeping at 4 AM because I couldn't put The Real Deal down until I was all the way finished. It is the epitome of why I love romance books. It's got the bizarre and implausible meet-cute that only works on screen or page but that you secretly hope could happen to you in real life (although I don't intend to sift through Craigslist ads for love any time soon). Then there is the delicious and excruciating tension that builds on for page after page to the point you're like a tea kettle by the time the main characters kiss for the first time, boiling over with anticipation. And then the best part, the heartwarming and satisfaction of a truly happy ending, the kind where the characters and the reader gets everything they all hoped for. This book hit all the check boxes for a solid contemporary romance. It made me laugh and sigh, made me smile and blush - hell, it even made me want to look up my "one who got away" on Facebook around 2 AM and recast us in the MCs shoes. Luckily stronger minds and an engrossing plot prevailed on that last one.

"His eyes are softer now, and the jealousy seems to have vanished. My heart sinks the tiniest bit. I should be glad he's no longer perturbed. But the traitorous heart flapping around in my chest found his jealousy appealing. Hearts are such 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 Real Deal reminds me of why Lauren Blakely holds a special author status for me. It's reminiscent of Wanderlust, The V Card, and The Knocked-Up Plan, all of which hit the same criteria as above, and all of which I devoured in one sitting and loved. It's that not too over the top plot that teases the edge of reality, the relatable but far from generic characters that are easy to slip into - even when you're not an ex con, a perfume designer, a lingerie aficionado. The shifting POVs not only make you bond with the characters, but they leave you with these universal truths. Everyone has insecurities, pasts, and ultimately just wants to be loved as they are, even the boyfriend for hire. With another five-star read, Blakely has secured her spot on my "when in doubt" list. I know that I'll always get a reliably decent read, and sometimes I'll get the real deal. I know, I tried to avoid the pun but we can all blame my glorious lack of sleep and swoony brains for the extra cheese.

"I want to keep creating stories to tell. Real stories of us."

P.S. Sign me sooooo up for Katie and her hottie soldier coming home from duty sequel. I know it was like a single paragraph, but I need more. LB, please. Please!

The Real Deal is a swoon-fest, a story to refresh world-weary hearts and give hope to all of us single people 💝

April has carved her place in the city and in her unusual career but the price her family has had to pay is the physical distance between her hometown and her independent lifestyle. In an attempt to lure her back into her hometown her family take it upon themselves to act as matchmakers at their up and coming reunion. Rather than risk upsetting her family, April decides it would be easier to fake having a boyfriend than take a stand for her independence, especially after her last dating fiasco. When her friend has to leave town for a career-changing opportunity April finds herself with a boyfriend-for-hire. 

Theo has a lot of responsibilities on his shoulders and has created the boyfriend for hire persona in an attempt to get some of the monkeys off his back. Theo's upbringing was rather unstable and as a result, lead him down an unconventional and not all that kosher path 🐵 There is a lot of regret in Theo's life but also a wariness of opening himself up to anyone following previous disasters. 

While April and Theo both have some emotional baggage, it doesn't seem relevant when the sparks fly between them from the start. They quite simply click. I adored the fictional relationship they created between them, followed by an even more romantic reality.

I always say this but I am a firm believer in everything happening for a reason, Theo and April being together is one of those instances. It is as if the universe conspired to bring them together as they are the foundation each requires. Helping find peace and understanding with their families, friends and lives as a whole.

The Real Deal is the story of April who can't face another family reunion dateless  with all of her meddling family that are constantly trying to fix her up with hometown boys and Theo who she hires to pretend to be her "bad boy" boyfriend. Lauren Blakely has in the past been a must buy for me but her recent novels, including this one week to lack something that I can't out my finger on. This story is basic and ultimately sweet with a HEA but nothing to get excited over. If you're looking for an easy way to pass a few hours this book is for you, it just won't stick out in your mind once you're finished.

April needs a buffer for her upcoming family reunion so she turns to Craiglist for a date. Theo, tattooed, sexy bartender, is the solution.  The Real Deal is a fake relationship trope done well. This story has heart and steam. I loved it!! I adore April and Theo. Their banter is a lot of fun. 5 star read! I will recommend. Thanks to St. Martins Press for an ARC of this title via NetGalley.

Another beautiful funny love story by Lauren Blakely. This story is witty and sweet. I love reading books by Ms.  Blakely because they flow naturally and have a nice slow build to a beautiful happy ever after.

When you've been looking for love in all the wrong places, it's easy to overlook a perfect fit. The Real Deal pokes fun at love in a relatable, but over the top sort of way. There are moments when reality seems stranger than fiction. Blakely takes those moments and runs with them. Theo and April are not what they appear to be. They are a union of convenience with an attraction that proves inconvenient. What begins as a sham, starts to become all too real. Can these two wrongs admit how right they are for each other? Blakely brings her irresistible charm to a tempting tale of love, longing and acceptance. She knows how to worm her way into even the coldest of hearts. Laughter and love are a golden combination.

OMG! Can I give a cute and sexy rom-com a 5 star?! I think I just did.
I've been a huge Lauren Blakely fan since the early years, but haven't read much of her works in the most recent years. I'm not sure why. But The Real Deal sealed the deal and I will jump back on that bandwagon.
The Real Deal was funny, smart, had great characters that conversed well and had banter that was perfection. April and Theo were the main characters, but each side character was important to their story and I enjoyed each and every step of their journey.

April is set to return to her hometown of Wistful for a family reunion. Her family always has the best intentions, but they constantly try to set her up with someone local so she will move home and be happy among them all. April is happy in the city and wants to prove that she is successful in life and love. So, she hires a boyfriend for her trip home. He comes highly recommended through her buddy Xavier. Enter Theo. He is a chameleon of sorts. He can be anyone April wants him to be. And April wants "the guy who might have screwed her in the restroom of a bar." Theo comes in rugged with tattoos and a t-shirt that reads "love sucks. true love swallows." He is a keeper!

From their first meeting, to their texts, to their "remember whens", I was hooked. April and Theo were perfection! When would they give in?! Two souls that swore off partners needed one another and something fell in their lap. Why not take the chance and go for it? And the way Theo is with her family and his flash of jealousy? He is the quiet alpha that all of us ladies want. 

"This is real. This is just because."

This is the Real Deal and it's really dang good. Lauren Blakely hit it out of the ball park with this book. It may not be totally original when it comes to rom-coms, but the writing was superb and the character interaction is a step above anything else. THAT makes it original and so worthwhile.
I adore these characters and their journey. The whole ride was worth it. Every minute of it!

Theo and April have immediate chemistry when she hires him to pretend to be her boyfriend at a huge family reunion. The stories they make up about things that happened in their "relationship" eventually turn into things both of them wish really happened. Both of them have reasons for being guarded, and they each try to figure out what it would mean and whether it would work if their pretend relationship turned to something more. Such a fun read, and definitely a page-turner - I wanted to find out how things would end up!

This book is so funny and romantic. Theo and April had me in stitches. The dialogue between the two of them is witty, spontaneous and so original. Lauren Blakely is a master at writing rom coms. Received an advance review copy in exchange for an honest review by NetGalley.

Great book. I love all of Lauren's books, she is an amazing author. April needs a date for her family reunion and quick. Her best friend can't go with her he has to go out of town but recommends his friend Theo. He is the perfect date he tells her, you will love him, trust me. April not only likes Theo but she is so attracted to him. They hit it off so well, a little to well sometimes. This book will have you laughing and I highly recommend it to everyone. I received this book from Net Galley for an honest review.

This is a cute story of a girl named April that has to go home for a family reunion. She knows every single family member is going to try to set her up with a different man and she wants no part of any of them.  April does the only logical thing, she hires a fake boyfriend to keep her family from trying to match her with local men. Things get crazy and things get complicated quickly. The first chapter or so was a little confusing but once you get past that, it's a funny adventure that I really enjoyed reading. I recommend this sweet, entertaining book.

This is a very fun, rompy rom com. The hero and heroine were both likeable and plucky, and you definitely want them to get their stuff sorted out so that they can be together. I appreciated that the author gave them smaller obstacles to overcome, given the time frame of the story. That said, the tone was a little grating after a while, and I do think that the stakes didn't ever seem that high. All in all, this is a fun book that delivers on the rom com vibe its going for