Second chance at best.
Willow wanted her bakery to make name for itself and this meeting will make a big difference if she makes it. But when she arrives at the hotel, she faces her brother’s best friend, Hollywood hero actor Zane in front of her. He was trying to delay her meeting but when she finds out the meeting was a hoax by Zane.
Zane needed to clean up his “playboy, bad boy” act before he starts filming in Sweetwater (his home town). So he decided to come up with a plan to fake an engagement. He was sure he could ask one person and that is Willow. They have known each other since they were kids and they were always good to each other.
Now, Willow has to decide to be his “fake fiancee” for two weeks. She always loved Zane and they shared a lots to memories and more. She thought she could play his Fake fiancee... not until he turn up his charms.
Zane always loved Willow. He knew she was the one for him.
Now Zane is trying everything to become the “Real” for Willow but it is not easy to win her heart. Their chemistry is off the chart and they are slowly falling in love...
Everybody knows they are in love but themselves. They have to figure out and move forward. Zane is pulling all the stops to win her heart and her family.

It was a great romance read. I loved Zane for his love for Willow. He only had eyes for her and he was the “real” deal. Willow’s family was great. I can’t wait to read about rest of her siblings. They all have their own spunk.

Thanks to Netgalley and Montlake Romance for my ARC for exchange for honest review.

I tried to read this one, but the minutes I started reading something would not let me get past the first few pages. I did not finish this one.

Find this review and more at Ramblings From This Chick

Melissa Foster is one of my favorite authors. Whatever she writes, I read. I was so excited about The Real Thing though as it is the first book in her new Sugar Lake series, and she definitely delivered here. The Real Thing was a fantastic start to this series and some of her best work yet!

Zane Walker is best friends with Willow Dalton's brother, but the two have always been somewhat close. When Willow wanted to lose her virginity she could think of no one else but Zane, and he was happy to help. Now years later he is the one asking for the favor when he finds himself needing to improve his reputation for his upcoming movie roll. But can Willow possibly hold onto her heart and avoid being hurt again when he asks her to pretend to be his fiancé?

I loved these two so much! Their relationship was fun and sweet, and their connection was strong despite not really being around one another for years. I loved that they kept in touch through text, and that whenever they really needed anything they knew it they could turn to one another. There was so much going on that neither one of them knew about, and it was clear that age and circumstances played into that a lot. My heart broke for them missing out on so much together, and yet had one thing been different things might not have worked out as they should. The one thing that was obvious was that these two belonged together, and I honestly just adored them both! Willow was super sweet and just a great person and Zane was as well.

Overall, these are some of my favorite characters from Melissa Foster yet! I don't know how she continues to come up with such unique and different characters that always feel so real. But each and every time she makes me fall in love with them and Willow and Zane were amazing. This book was sweet and sexy, full of fun moments and all the feels. You can never go wrong with Melissa Foster's books, but The Real Thing is one of my favorites of hers. I can't wait to get more in this world, and I highly recommend this one!

**ARC Provided by Tasty Book Tours**

Sexy. Sweet. Unforgettable. I love this author and the stories she writes. Great chemistry. Undeniable attraction. Smoldering tension. Characters that make you feel everything. Highly recommended this book y'all!

*I received this book off of Netgalley for my honest opinion*

To be honest, this wasn't my cup of tea. I enjoyed the plot of the story but there was one too many "baby's" thrown in. It was just not my cup of tea. I am not a fan of "pet" names used in every single sentence. I found myself trying to skim through the end of the book.

I absolutely adored this book, which was both a bit of a delightful surprise and the first step in laying a foundation of affection for everything that comes after this!

I loved this book. Melissa Foster has a way of pulling you in and really getting you to emotionally invest in her characters and their story. Zane Walker is a superstar actor,but underneath it all is still the same man hometown girl Willow Dalton has crushed on for years. I loved experiencing their story. Highly recommend!

Melissa Foster has just created a series, Sugar Lake, that will make you want more of it’s little town and their men. We have the first one starting action super-hero Zane Walker who by all counts is a man with a mission. Willow is the woman who can either accept his mission or be the reason why he will fail. The attraction they have is just friends but Zane is a man who knows what he wants and Willow is more than a friend to him. I loved that Melissa Foster has them circling around but the chemistry between them scares them both for how strong it is. I loved seeing this little town and everybody around them is a story waiting to be told in this little town. You see an act between them but one thing I like the most about Melissa Foster’s work is there is more than just pretending you see real love growing through out the book. Loved it.

“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.”

Going into this book, I’d never heard about Melissa Foster or read one of her books. Having finished The Real Thing, I can safely say I’ll be seeking out even more of her writing! Obviously I couldn’t resist when I read the synopsis and saw heartthrob and baker. A beautiful boy and baked goods? How could I ever resist this story?

Although the premise snagged my interest, what really hooked the talons in me, however, was the characters. I don’t just mean our male and female leads either. I was super invested in and attached to Willow’s family, the people in Zane’s life, and the people living in Sweetwater just as much as our mains! If you asked me who my favourite was I’d refuse to answer and then run away screaming; they were all so awesome!

The romance in The Real Thing was also super adorable. I loved how they had thew snippy banter that comes with being life-long friends. The relationship between Willow and Zane is exactly the kind of easy-flowing, fun commitment I hope I can one day find. This is definitely a story that will leave you squeeing throughout the whole thing. The best relationships don’t come easy and watching Zane and Willow grow was so satisfying and downright adorable. I can’t. I just can’t even. They’re too cute.

From start to finish, I loved every second of this book. The chemistry between the couple was amazing, the secondary characters were so compelling, the setting was super cute and cozy. The story absolutely flew by and I felt like I went from 5% to finished the book in the blink of an eye! In short, if you haven’t already downloaded this...WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! (Also, I want a cupcake now…)

One could think The Real Thing would be a predictable tale, but it's far from it. Bakery owner Willow Dalton and famous Hollywood star Zane Walker have been friends forever. Before he left their little town to become a hot A-list actor, Zane did her a huge favor and took her virginity. Yeah, there were rules attached to the deal. Stupid rules. Rules that neither were able to adhere to. Rules that prevented them from being more. Because if Willow had been truthful to herself, she always had wanted more with Zane... Zane needs to clean up his act. Getting into a stable relationship would clean up his image nicely. A fake engagement with Willow would be even better. Convincing her of it might be tricky, but as he expected between his dazzling smiles and leading man charm he can get her on his side. The thing is the more time they spend together, the harder it becomes to separate fiction from reality. Can this lie become their real life? Can they make it in the real world? A fun read from Melissa Foster, with likable characters, sexy moments, and a sweet HEA.

Overall: This was incredibly melodramatic, in my opinion, and ultimately just not my cup of tea. However, for someone looking to escape into that type of instalove ,& instalust (no judgment!), this would really be a great novel to read. For what it is and its intended audience, it's well-done!

Rough Notes/Impressions:

33%: Her boob hangup is dumb.

Their tension is spotty. I don't get it - are they actually faking, or not? I get the impression Zane is tricking her into giving him a chance. I wish they either agreed to friends with more or else acted like friends. Their 'whatever' is annoyingly vague and has lines that are too blurry.

34%: I seriously just skimmed a sex scene. So flowery/verbose and it over-the-top. The constant lust, the overly romantic everything (and Zane then randomly saying he didn't know he felt a certain way or mean it before). I am thisclose to DNF. And I was actually enjoying the premise, so it makes me a bit sad.

This may just not really be my style of romance.

Such a stinking cute book! Oh my goodness, I just adored The Real Thing.

I love dual points of view, I love fake relationships with friends you end up falling for, I love baking!
Seriously, The Real Thing had it all and I couldn't get enough.

Zane and Willow were freaking adorable. They grew up together and I loved their history and personalities. I love the cocky men and the sassy as hell females and that's exactly what they were.

If you're looking for a sweet, sweet book to make your heart happy then The Real Thing by Melissa Foster is for you. I defiantly need to read more from this author.

Melissa Foster's newest book-The Real Thing- is hilarious! It's the first book in her newest series and it was amazing!

Sweet, sexy, easy read that touches your heart.
Zane Walker is an actor who has left his hometown of Sweetwater, NY to pursue GOALS for a better more fulfilling life. Willow Dalton owns and runs Sweetwater. She is the town sweetheart.
Planned events lead to lies to keep the facade alive. But there is no lying when it comes to matters of the heart as Zane finds his PURPOSE and Willow faces her insecurities.
Although I have several books by this author on my TBR list this is my first read of her books. A good read warranting more reads and off the TBR list

This was fun, sweet, and sexy! The perfect recipe for a steamy romance between two people pretending to be in love. Willow and Zane may have been putting on a show for the world, but they manged to fall for each other anyway. I loved this so much and I can't wait to read more Melissa Foster!

This first book in a new series is a charming story of two friends who decide to pretend to be engaged. Zane is an actor who wants to give his image a face-lift. He turns to his old friend, Willow, a bakery owner, for help. Although he once broke her heart, he is able to convince her to pretend that they are engaged. Before long, the two of them are having trouble remembering that they are not truly engaged.

The two main characters in this one were great, as were some of the secondary ones! I enjoyed the storyline, and found the book to be fun and entertaining. It is a great start to a new series! Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a copy of the book in return for an honest review.

The Real Thing is the first book in the Sugar Lake series by Melissa Foster. Bakery owner Willow Dalton’s friendship with Zane Walker has always been a bit complicated. Now a scrumptiously hot A-list actor, Zane’s always had a reputation as a player. He’s arrogant, and he’s definitely not boyfriend material. Sure, he did Willow a favor by agreeing to take her virginity before college, but is that reason enough for her to go along with a fake engagement a decade later—even if it comes with a real diamond ring? Zane should have known better. Nothing involving Willow has ever been easy. Still, he knows her better than anyone, and becoming America’s hottest new leading man means cleaning up his reputation. An “engagement” to curvy, sass-mouthed Willow is the perfect PR move…provided no one gets hurt. Now Zane and Willow’s little white lie has turned into an irresistible recipe for sweet temptation. And soon no one will be able to tell the difference between their fake engagement and the real thing, including them.

The Real Thing is a charming romance. I found Willow and Zane to be great characters, they both had depth and good and bad attributes- and some serious chemistry. I feel like I missed some of the connection between the pair from the past, which is important to the story. Whether this is because of the number of books I have missed from Foster over the years or not, it was really the only negative that I found, but it just never solidified for me personally. I loved the family and friend connections, and the emotionally charged bickering between Zane and Willow. I also like that the discussed things like adults when it was important, although occasionally assumptions, pride, and hurt feelings got in the way. No surprises, just a book with witty dialogue, its fair share of steam, and a pretty perfect blend of charm and snark for a engaging read.

The Real Thing is another romance from Foster that includes characters that feel real, with good and bad and some small town charm thrown in. While it is not the best I have read from Foster, it is still remarkably good and an enjoyable read.

One thing I love most about Melissa is her ability to write the most sweet & sexy romance novels, and even better second chance romances, and if The Real Thing is anything to go by Sugar Lake is going to be a great series for Melissa to add to her already amazing collection of books.

Willow Dalton & Zane Walker have been friends since childhood, and secretly loved each other from afar all these years. Before Willow headed to collage she enlisted Zane to take her virginity so she could away to collage a "woman" - she said there would be no strings attached and he was more than happy to oblige. Over the years they have kept in touch, with some flirting along the way, but it was always Willow who held back.

Now Zane is back in town with a proposition for Wills - as he nicknamed her - a proposition of a fake engagement to him for a few weeks as a publicity stunt thought up by his PR to gain him more exposure as a romantic actor, then once it over they go back to their respective lives. Willow naturally is against it at first as she is very close to her family and they will raise all sort of questions about the sudden engagement, but Zane seems to have it all planned out.

The lines begin to get blurred between fake and real and you are left wondering just how this is going to play out. It is clear that Zane & Willow want to be together and that he has thought of her for years, but as I said before it was Willow who held back - can this be the prefect ruse to bring them together again for real?

The banter between them both is brilliant and real, there are time when they are annoying and their are time when the lines blur and no one know what is real or fake, over all this is a great story from Melissa and I can not wait to read more from the Sugar Lake series!

I found it a sweet and quick romance.

I loved that they grew up together and Zane’s best friend is Willows older brother.

Their connection is heated and full of chemistry.

Zane was entertaining and emotional

Willow was strong and witty.

All up and enjoyable story. A good Sunday inside novel.

*Note ARC provided via NetGalley

*I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

I've long been a fan of Melissa Foster and her various romance series. The Real Thing is no different! Zane and Willow have been friends since high school, and when Zane needs help cleaning up his reputation, he turns to Willow to pose as his girlfriend. Soon, they have a hard time determining whether their fake relationship is turning into something more.

I loved Zane and Willow. I always enjoy when we are dropped into the hero/heroine's story, rather than be there from the beginning. Zane and Willow's chemistry is off the charts, and their antics had me chuckling while reading. I have a feeling I will read The Real Thing time and time again, and I cannot wait for book 2 of the Sugar Lake series.