This is a beautiful, heart-warming story with an unexpected dynamic between the two men. There’s quite a large age-gap (37/19) as well as social differences, and yet these two guys fall in love and build a Dom/sub relationship that works for them. I particularly liked the writing style and the connection the author builds between these two characters. The sex scenes are hot and frequent, plus there are some heart-wrenching scenes. Great job!

Although book 3 in the Spires series, it can be read as a standalone and read out of order, although occasionally there are references to characters from other books or they pop up for cameo roles.

On a side note, I listened to the audiobook as I read along and noted a slight difference between the audio and this new edition i.e. a few words/sentences edited/re-written/amended here and there, but on the whole it’s the same brilliant story.

This was a netgalley read as I am a total sucker for an Alexis Hall book.

This one did not disappointment. Of all Hall’s books this one is the steamiest I think and it has interesting dynamics in terms of the age gap, the personalities of the two main characters, and their stages in life. This had some intensity to it and a sense of being lonely even when people aren’t actually alone.

There’s some intense BDSM for those who might be sensitive when it comes to that on page but given this was much about how they met and their relationship dynamic, it definitely fit.

Thanks to the publisher for the netgalley copy.

4.5 stars

2024 re-read: I read the ARC of the re-release. Still good, as I said six years ago.

2018 original review:
I shouldn't be surprised, by now. In Glitterland it was a terribly damaged, depressed man confronted by a shockingly out loud glitterboy. In Waiting For the Flood it was a fellow so hurt and repressed that the kindest man in the universe nearly doesn't get through to him. (That one is close to poetry.) Alexis Hall has a track record with this series. For Real does not disappoint.

It is a May - December pairing, but with D/s, kink, and terribly mismatched baggage. The tangles are intensely personal to each man, confusing to the other. Figuring out how to talk is often the hardest part of any relationship, and these two have that problem in spades. I adored that the Dom's smaller and way younger and brand new to it, although he knows what he wants. I adored how much older the sub is, how resistant he is to any feelings, because of course this kid won't stick around. Why would he? I loved that each sees the other's physical flaws and it just feeds into the attraction in this intrinsically sweet way that is the underpinning of the entire relationship. Neither knows it. But we readers see it pretty quickly. I love how smart each guy is and I love how that sometimes just doesn't help at all, but other times it is at the very heart of how they please each other.

If you skip kinky sex scenes, this one won't work for you. Every scene counts toward the resolutions and character arcs, including those scenes.

Was not a fan of the age gap in this book, but the rest of it I really enjoyed. This is a steamy book with some elements I hadn't read about before, so it was interesting. I read most of this book trying not to think about the age difference, and I did enjoy the romance between the two. This makes me want to read others in the Spires Universe series.

Unfortunately this book was a bit of a miss for me. I absolutely adored "Boyfriend Material" and "Husband Material" and was looking for more of the same vulnerable, yet loving relationship from that world. I did not find it in this book. I want to be clear, my issue was not with the writing, subject material, BDSM, age gap, or the m/m romance. It had more to do that this was just *more* than what I hoped. It was too emotionally taxing for me and I couldn't quite fall in love with the characters the same way I did in the other books by the same author. I'm sure there are lots of people that would enjoy this book and find it amazingly sexy and divine. I'm just not one of them.

Rounded up from 3.5 stars

So I think there can be too much of a good thing when it comes to books as well as anything else in life and I think I might have had too much Alexis Hall in quick succession. I read For Real coming off listening to the 10 Things That Never Happened audiobook and reading a physical copy of Rosaline Palmer Takes The Cake. While I, for the most part, enjoyed For Real, it lacked the same magic that I have come to love from Alexis's books. There were plenty of feels in this story, at one point I did almost cry and I loved the cameos from Edwin and Marius but overall, I felt like something was lacking from the story.

Maybe because it felt a little like a mash up of Glitterland and Waiting for the Flood/Chasing the Light but with copious amounts of kink? To be very clear, so not complaining about the kink. I would never yuck someone's yum but I will also admit that I am not the biggest fan of age gap relationships and this one was by far the largest age gap I've read in a story.

The extra stuff, especially the author annotations are really cool and possibly one of my favourite things. My copy sadly didn't have the Aftermath short story in it so I'll have to wait until it comes out to read it because I need that HEA for that character.

Despite what I have written above, I would still recommend giving this a go. Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and Netgalley for the eARC.

This was a great mm/mm story with a gap story, spicy club, and lots of emotions. two men in different sages of life. Both trying to seek something that would make them feel a little less emotionally lost in the world. Laurence Daizel. A tired, mentally worn down doctor. And Toby Finch, never knowing what he wants out of life; with a love of cooking and working in a cheap dinner. They come together as dom and sub, and find out what they want in life both with each other and separately.

I have been in my forbidden romance era and this fits the bill with the age gap romance between Laurie and Toby. They meet at BDSM club and Laurie takes Tony under his wing to show how the relationship works. I liked that Toby is the dominant which books typically has the older character as. I love their interaction and the struggle Laurie had with this relationship. What I found refreshing was Toby's confidence with what he wanted in a relationship. I love the growth journey that happens in this story.

Thank you @sourcebookscasa @netgalley for a copy of this book.

Thank you to the Author, publisher and NetGalley for the eARC.
Age gaps are not my thing, reading the synopsis and knowing that this book contained one I chose to request it anyway. I have read other of Hall’s books and genuinely loved them. This is a rerelease of the book with bonus materials and I hadn’t read it before so I thought I’d give it a shot. Overall I found both MMC to be genuinely hard to like. They both came with way too many hang ups and while some of them were resolved, I didn’t find the resolutions to be satisfying. As far as the kink in this, I am not an expert in the BDSM scene but the lack of negotiation, and sometimes what felt like coercion was uncomfortable for me. The lack of even using safe words and joking once about the use of a safe word after an attempted scene was uncouth.
I wish I could have enjoyed it more considering how much I enjoyed other books by this author but not every book is for everyone.

First, thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an e-arc of one of my faves!

This was the first actual Alexis Hall reread because, for a long time, this was the only one of his older books that the library had! I remember really enjoying this one and I enjoyed it once again, Hall is one of my favorite writers for a reason!

Laurie and Toby's romance could definitely be categorized as erotica because of the number of sex scenes, but each is very important to the plot as our characters grow and change as people. Their age gap dynamic is one of the greatest difficulties in their relationship, and I think Hall handles it well, showcasing the importance of healthy communication once the two finally start communicating.

I really enjoyed the way BDSM was approached in this book; although it was a book with a lot of sex scenes, as it was not treated as particularly taboo, but rather something that connected our MCs and brought together their community.

Another great romance by Hall that I can't wait to get my hands on physically when it comes out!

I've read a few books by Alexis Hall and was very much looking forward to this one. I should have started at the beginning, as I prefer to read a series in order. But I also realized this wasn't an ideal book for me. All for the characters and requisite drama, but I didn't connect much with it being over 50% about BDSM and non-stop sexual focus. Parts were good. Too often I wanted the story to come thru first. But I will still read more from the author in other series or different subjects.

For Real is the next partly new and improved Spires novel that YOU NEED TO READ!

For Real focuses on the lives of Laurie and Toby, two men who have a chance to meet at a BDSM club, but then find out that perhaps they could be exactly what they need in each other's lives. This book took me by surprise in a lot of ways. Initially, I wasn't sure what to expect when I realized that this was going to be an age-gap romance. It isn't a spoiler to say that Toby is 19 and Laurie is 37, however in my opinion, because this gap is addressed as an ongoing part of the story, it felt realistic and added such a sweet dynamic overall.

Toby's self-doubt and imposter syndrome at times, felt all too real. Laurie's inability to let go of the past is also just hard to read at times. Both of these incredibly sweet humans deserved all of the happiness that they received in the book. I honestly found myself addicted to reading their story and kept smiling at my Kindle as I was reading through everything. I know that readers are going to love the romance part of this story because it just is so cute and adorable.

Another major portion of this story is the spice. And LET ME TELL YOU, this book is SPICY! This is honestly the spiciest book that I think I have read by Alexis Hall and I genuinely loved it. Some of these sequences involve a good amount of kink, specifically Domination and submission. This plays obviously into the character's initial interest in each other, but as it continues to layer into the story overall, it just was done so exceptionally well that I couldn't stop reading it! Honestly, I need 250 more pages of Toby and Laurie ASAP!

Check out this story because it truly is fantastic and you're going to love it!

I absolutely love how Alexis writes his characters, so flawed but so relatable at the same time, and these one were not the exception, they tried so hard, they made mistakes and somehow they found middle ground even with the huge age gap and different backgrounds.

When I first picked this up in 2018, I admit I was a little bit doubtful—there’s a big age difference between the two main characters and Toby is so young, the same age as one of my kids. There’s also a lot of explicit, kinky sex. But, y’know, I should’ve had faith, it’s an Alexis Hall book after all. Gorgeously written and beautifully put together.
Someone once said a romance should be an argument as to why the lovers should be together (it might have been Alexis Hall who said that, actually.)This is a master class in that premise. On the surface, Toby and Laurie are very different people, but they are both determinedly independent, both dealing with sadness, both doing their best at kindness. And they fit together like two sides of the same coin. It’s wonderful book, and I’m so glad it’s being re-released and will meet a new audience.

Laurie Dalziel, an emergency medicine consultant, is 37 and still grieving the end of his relationship six years ago. The BDSM scene is no longer satisfying. On a night out with friends, he meets 19-year-old Toby Finch, a young man equally lost. But Toby has a goal: Laurie, on his knees and equally as in love with him.

I've read For Real several times, and it is one of my favourite Alexis Hall books. Hall writes complex and flawed people beautifully, and Laurie and Toby are two of his best characters. Their characterisation is distinct and nuanced, and you know when it's Laurie or Toby talking.

Toby is particularly interesting, as he is no "dom" caricature. In the fascinating annotations, Hall recalls how many people struggled with this side of Toby. However, I felt that Hall both showed and explained the lesson well and challenged our assumptions. Similarly, I enjoyed Laurie's characterisation, especially his weariness and flashes of possessiveness and jealousy, such as in the Oxford Quadrangles.

The book is somewhat kinky, but I did not feel it was gratuitous.

This is my favourite of the Spires series, and I recommend it highly. I loved reading Hall's annotations and thoughts, so I would recommend fans of Hall's work grab a copy. I'm grateful to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for the eARC.

The Spires series are some of my favorite books of all time so it's great to see them refreshed and re-released into the world. I'm not a big fan of the illustrated new covers, they make the books blend in with the millions of other rom-com novels out there and don't quite fit the tone, in my humble opinion. Otherwise I loved revisiting these characters and their sexy, emotional story. It's fascinating reading Hall's annotations and how his influences made their way into the story, and how he looks back on it now. I was also expecting some bonus content in the form of an extra chapter or epilogue so that was a bit disappointing not to find them here but otherwise this was a lovely read and I'm hopeful this series will receive as much mainstream attention as Hall's newer novels.

This is a netgalley arc for the re-release and you know what
I am obsessed with alexis hall, i always was and always will this was as good this time as ut was the first time. Toby and Laurie... My goodness. 4.5 stars!!!!

Toby and Laurie get a refresh in this rerelease of For Real. The Spires universe is notable for its great characterisation and introspective takes on romance. This is quite a kinky book, but the expectations that come with being a kinky book are thrown on their head by the mere fact that the dominant in the relationship is so young and inexperienced and ends up needing a lot of emotional support from the older, more experienced sub. Outside of the scenes Laurie very much feels like the dominant personality in the relationship, holding the power that comes with age and life experience, while Toby struggles to come to terms with loss and understanding himself. It's a beautiful love story.. but you'll never see lemon meringue pie the same way again.

Well... I do think it would be a good idea for the blurb to mention that this is erotica. Not the sort of thing I'd generally read, but I requested it because I loved Boyfriend Material so much. It's... different to that! The romance is lovely, intensely emotional without ever becoming cringy. What I think Alexis Hall does best is realistic mental health rep, and this feels a bit flat without that added dimension, but the characters are well-rounded and engaging.

Oh my gosh I don't have the words to capture how much I love this book!! I've read For Real six times in the last two years because this book has surprising depths to unpack. This was the book that cemented me as an Alexis Hall stan. I am NOT an age gap lover but he managed to make me fall in love with a book that has one of my least favorite tropes. The power dynamic could so easily have felt unbalanced because of the age gap but instead Alexis Hall makes it clear that they both have the power to affect the other. The delicate way he subverts expectations of what a sub/dom have to look like or what masculinity and power mean is so clever and keeps me coming back to this story. Fictional doms are often written as flimsy cardboard cutouts that readers can project their fantasies on but Alexis Hall gives Toby the space to be a complex character with doubts and fears and desires of his own. I adored how both Toby and Laurie were given the room to engage in kink in the way that made sense for who they were (rather than falling into stereotypes or doing things just because that's a common way others do it). For Real is a fantastically steamy, kinky book but at its core there is so much heart and humor grounding the book in who the characters are so that every time there's a sex scene it's driving the story forward (while also being fabulously hot!) Alexis Hall leans into the rawness and vulnerability of being real with someone else and that makes the book incredibly emotional. This is a niche book for sure, but it's specificity is what made it my perfect book. If you love steamy romances that are grounded in emotion then this could be your perfect book as well!