Thank you NetGalley and Danielle Bair for the preview of this book. The Real You is a believable college tale following the coming of age for our narrator, Kat. However, the structure, format, and storylines all left this feeling a little unfinished. There is a point in the middle of the book where it changes speakers for seemingly no reason, and there is a story line that is somewhat unresolved with resident hot floormate Dylan. While I appreciated how accurate this depiction of college life was, I was left wanting more and honestly a bit disappointed.

*I have received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.*

Kathleen is just starting her freshman year of college. She is finally able to experiencing true freedom for the first time, and this is her chance to discover who she really is all on her own. Her parents were kind of strict back home and never allowed her to date anyone, so taking full advantage of being able to do whatever she wants, she immediately meets Dylan. Her newly found friends agree that he is the hottest guy on their floor and encourages Kathleen to pursue him since he seems to have taken an unexpected interest in her. (Possibly only because she is the only girl on their floor who isn't falling at his feet.) Nonetheless she decides to get closer to Dylan and eventually he asks her out on what will be her very fist date ever! Since this is all so new to Kat, she isn't exactly sure how dating is supposed to work... however, she's pretty sure that be dragged around like arm candy at some boring banquet isn't the ideal first date setting. To makes matters worse, Dylan barely even acknowledges her the entire time! Needless to say, she quickly leaves and gets super pissed at Dylan for treating her so poorly.

Now enters Sam, he's a pre med student just like Kathleen and they even share some classes. The two instantly click and become fast friends. Sam is always there for Kat and after that disastrous date, he is the one who makes sure she gets back to her dorm safe and helps cheer her up. It seems that he is the complete opposite of Dylan. Sam is caring, kind, and seems to genuinely value and enjoy Kats company.

After Kat talks herself into giving Dylan another chance, the two begin officially dating. Her friendship with Sam starts to make Dylan feel threatened and he begins to put a lot of pressure on Kat to take their relationship to the next level, something she has made very clear she is not ready for. Anytime Dylan does not get his way or Kat calls him out on his rude behavior, he instantly switches into this totally different person that quite frankly scares her. Her friends all believe that he is this super disable and great guy which causes Kat to continuously talk herself into forgiving him again and again, always hoping that he will change and things will get better. Its becomes a difficult game to play, and Kat struggles with figuring out what to do. She inevitably leans on Sam for advice which brings them closer and they form a connection that makes her feel safe, something she is desperately seeking.

Is Dylan really the person she should be with and not Sam? but what if she could change Dylan and help him? wouldn't that make him the picture perfect boyfriend like all her friends say? Kathleen finds herself questioning everything about her relationship with both boys putting everything on the line to try and figure out what is best for her. who is she really meant to be with?

I'm giving this book a 2.75/3 star rating.

There were a few issues I had with the overall writing style and with the characters. It felt like everything was written out very formally, especially it being about college aged characters. In the dialogue between them, I found it very rare to see the words "haven't, don't, can't, or won't" being used, and instead seeing a lot of formality with " I do not" or "I have not" ect. ect. This just made the overall atmosphere of the book seem unfitting for the ages they are meant to be, being in my 20s myself, I found it hard to relate to. The language and metaphors just seemed out of place for college students to use and not very causal.

I did enjoy the plot, but I felt like everything was very rushed and happened in a blink of an eye, which just wasn't realistic. Kathleen's inner monologues were very repetitive so I felt like she lacked a lot of depth as a character. Most of the others just seemed very stereotypical.

That being said, there was still a lot to like about the book. I thought the connection Kat had with Sam was very cute and sweet, I loved all of their interactions! It was so hard to watch Kat put up with Dylan in a lot of the bad situations they got into, but I appreciated how realistic that aspect of the book was. Sometimes when you are in an abusive relationship, you find yourself defending their actions and convincing yourself that you can change them, so you stay no matter how bad they treat you, I really liked how that was very evident throughout the story.

I would recommend to someone who enjoys quick reads and doesn’t mind a formal and fast pace writing style.

Thank you Danielle Bair and Netgalley for sending me this ARC!

I don't really even know where to start with this. This book had so much potential but to be quite frank, I couldn't wait for it to be over with. I don't know if it's branded as YA or New Adult, but it felt very YA with a hint of wanting to be New Adult, but it didn't live up to the description. I had high hopes for this, but they crashed and burned. Read it for yourself, becuase just because I didn't enjoy it doesn't mean yuo won't.

Kathleen or Kat, as her friends call her, is a new freshman that has lived a sheltered life. Her father refused to let her date until she started college. Being anew frreshman in college, Kat is experiencing new things. She has new friends and boys are noticing her. There's Dylan, who her father would aprove of and there's Sam, the one she knows her father would never aprove of. College is proving to be difficult, but when you add in a relationship, with a guy who doesn't want the same things as you, everything starts to fall apart. While trying to fit in, will you remain true to yourself?

Thank you to NetGalley and the published for a free copy of The Real You by Danielle Bair in exchage for my honest review.

Ok Danielle... You did it! You got me! And now I need the second book! Pleassseeee!
I have been looking forward to this book ever since I seen and read the description.
The Real You is Book 1 in The University First Love Series by Danielle Bair and y'all it's so damn good!

I really enjoyed this one. Kat and even Dylan and Sam were all great characters and I really enjoyed their story. They had a lot of chemistry and a lot of passion.
The author really depicted real life issues in the story in a realistic yet touching way that hit close to home.
Very well written, with a lot of depth, I loved every minute of it.
I was totally absorbed until I finished reading this book!
I adored everything about this book... the setting, the characters, the writing and the plot.
Once I started reading I couldn't stop until I was finished and I ended up reading the whole thing in just a couple of hours. It was entertaining and had just enough angst to make you empathize with the characters.
It was very nicely written and fun to read.
Can't wait for the second one.

Danielle Bair,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this eARC!

I wanted to like this book but the plot fell flat for me. The story was to slow and the characters I did not care for.. Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from Danielle Bair and #NetGalley. Thank you to the publishers, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

A wonderful story that’s hauntingly relatable.

I really wanted to like this one. The storyline was there but the execution fell flat. The writing felt too juvenile to be set in college. Chemistry was lacking between all of the characters, which made it hard for me to believe that this girl fell so hard into a toxic relationship. It’s an easy read but left me underwhelmed.

I read this book in one sitting and you should do the same. I truly learned a lot of new things from this book, and I am so glad I read it. The attention to detail with characters and explanations is spot on. I loved how this author, Danielle Bair tells the story, and I could feel the emotions of the characters, the laughter, fear, devastation, lust and so on. This book destroyed me in a good way, from crying, laughter, to long held smiles that hurt. Ever since I read the book, I cannot get it out of my head it just stays there, I think about it when I am driving and replay some of the major events as I fall asleep at night, with the emotions still strong! I experienced a similar situation to one of the characters and can relate to this book, but it really shed light on toxic relationships in a way I did not previously understand or appreciate. The author delicately navigated serious situations like a seasoned author. This book is worth the read for so many reasons, just read it already! Its not your typical romance book where the couple just ends up together after some normal issues, this book is real deal life in your face.

Everyone, and I really mean everyone, should read this book. The story cuts deep and stays with you, it is very insightful. Kat is a young woman who comes to find herself as the year progresses. Sam is a dreamy sweet guy and I loved the scenes where he talks to Kat so candidly. He is almost like Kat’s knight in shining armor, not that she needed that. Kat is strong and independent, even though in the beginning I was screaming for her to trust her gut, she eventually does recognize the situation that she is in and rectifies that.

Without giving away spoilers, I want to say that there is a heartbreaking twist to the story that is the reason why I will be suggesting this book to everyone I know. I cannot wait for the next book of the series. I need to see what happens next for Kat and her group of friends.

This novel made me remember all of the fun times I had in college. You will laugh, you will cry, and you will learn some red flags that should never be overlooked. I think the moral to the story is: trust your gut because bad people go out of their way to seem like a good person.