"A sublime and seriously sexy tale of a fake romance turned breathtakingly real!"
Reviewed by Miranda Owen
Posted July 24, 2018
Romance Contemporary | Romance Erotica Sensual
THE REAL DEAL by Lauren Blakely
is a standalone contemporary romance. This book is a must-read for
readers, like me, who adore the pretend romance-turned-real trope.
April Hamilton is a mature and intelligent woman, but she's still
reluctant to tell her family to buzz off when it comes to her love life. In
a moment of weakness, April confessed to having a love affair that
went incredibly wrong and, ever since, her family has been trying to
push single men from her hometown onto her by the dozens. The hope
is that one of the bachelors might lure April home to stay. Her family's
intentions come from a good place, but they are persistent. Enter Theo
Banks. Theo is April's paid fake boyfriend for her trip back home.
Neither of them foresees the fireworks that will develop between them. This book is so much fun from beginning to end. Theo's advertisement
listing his services as a fake boyfriend is a hoot. The flirtatious and
witty banter between Theo and April that develops at their first
meeting, and continues throughout the book, is marvelous and
increases the sexual tension. I like that THE REAL DEAL is told from alternating perspectives,
allowing the readers to better understand the two main characters.
Family plays a central role in THE REAL
DEAL , and April's experience with family is completely alien to
Theo. April has what Theo wishes he had. April's family is quirky
without being oppressive and obnoxious. The vignettes involving a few
family members and zany competition add humor and depth to this
story. Lauren Blakely makes the pressure Theo is under, and his reasons for
making his money the way he does, very understandable and he is a
highly sympathetic character. Even though he makes his living acting
and lying to people for money, he's refreshingly honest about the
important stuff in life. Theo's a good guy who you can't help but root
for as the story progresses. April is an equally sympathetic and flawed,
yet charming, character. The chemistry between April and Theo is
amazeballs and creates some incredibly sensual and sensational
scenes. The luxurious languid kisses will knock your socks off. THE REAL DEAL is a sublime and
seriously sexy tale of a fake romance turned breathtakingly real. As the
story progressed, the image of this hero in my mind went from some
big biker badass to Ryan Gosling. Wistful, CT seems like a cute small
town and I wouldn't mind reading more stories in that setting. I can't
wait to read Lauren Blakely's next romance!
SUMMARY
April Hamilton wants you to know she hasn’t been on
GigsForHire since that time she sold her futon after
college. She doesn’t even spend that much time online.
And even if she did, she would not be looking up personal
ads. But going home alone for her family's summer reunion
is an invitation for every single relative to butt into
her personal life. She simply can’t handle another blind
date with the butcher, the baker or the candlestick maker
from her hometown. So when she finds the GigsforHire ad
for a boyfriend-for-hire, she’s ready to pay to play. Heading Home and Need a Buffer? I’m the REAL DEAL. Theo Banks has been running from the past for years. He’s
this close to finally settling all his debts, and one
more job as a boyfriend-for-hire will do the trick. He’s
no gigolo. Please. He’s something of an actor, and he
knows how to slip into any role, including pretending to
be April’s new beau -- the bad boy with the heart of
gold. Even if it means sleeping in close quarters in that tiny
little bed in her parents’ inn. Even if it means spinning
tales of a romance that starts to feel all too true. What
neither one of them counts on is that amid the egg toss,
the arm wrestling, and a fierce game of Lawn Twister that
has them tangled up together, they might be feeling the
real deal. She only wanted to show her family once and for all that
she had no need to settle down. He didn’t expect to have the time of his life at her
parent’s home. They didn’t plan on loving every single second of the
game. But can a masterful game of pretend result in true love?
What do you think about this review?
Comments
1 comment posted.
Re: A sublime and seriously sexy tale of a fake romance turned breathtakingly real!
The pretend romance trope is also one of my favorites. Nice review!
(Jonetta (Ejaygirl) Allen 8:03pm July 24, 2018)
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