I absolutely adored When It's Real. It's the kind of book that you pick up one afternoon on a whim, and before you know it, three hours have passed and you've finished the book!

Vaughn Bennett is one of the best heroines I've read in a while. Trying to hold her life together after the death of her parents some years before, Vaughn is the kind of girl that puts her family's needs above her own. When cornered by Diamond Management to appear as music sensation Oakley Ford's fake PR girlfriend for the year, she is torn by the idea. Disgusted by the prospect of being paid to be a girlfriend - no matter how fake - but knowing her family is in desperate need of the money, she puts her own feelings aside. But will it bring her happiness in the end? Or will this one decision cause her a life time of pain?

One of the things I most liked about Vaughn was the fact that she knew her own mind. Here was a girl being forced into a situation that she didn't particularly like, but knowing it was for the better of her family. She is also witty and sarcastic and a hold-no-bares kind of girl who will tell you as it is and I found this openness and honesty so refreshing.

I loved Oakley. Brought up in front of the media's ever watchful eye, Okaley Ford just wants to play music and leave all the crap for someone else to deal with. He doesn't want to be famous, he just wants to play. But when the headlines start preventing him from moving his career forward like he wants to, Oakley is convinced by his management to play the game and reform his image publicly to get what he wants most. What none of them expected to find however was Vaughn, the perfect girl-next-door-everyday-girl to reclaim Oakley's good boy image, and so much more than meets the eye.

When the book opens, there's no hiding Oakley is a bit of a jerk. He has a massive chip on his shoulder thanks to privacy invasions and expectations and well... he is used to getting everything his own way as long as he throws enough money at it. So when he meets Vaughn and she doesn't fall at his feet like he predicts, Oakley starts to take notice and it's from here out that we get a glimpse into who the real Oakley is and what he does and doesn't like.
When It's Real is a slow burn romance and it's oh-so-good. I loved being able to watch Oakley and Vaughn navigate social situations neither expected to find themselves in and to witness them breaking down the walls each other has built around them. The pair interact over social media - for their fans, management and the media - and things start to turn from being so obviously fake and forced to something so genuine and real that most of us can only hope to find.

Lastly, When It's Real is ultimately a Cinderella-esque story. it's super cute, honest and raw at times, while maintaining subtle digs at social perceptions and expectations and the unrealistic nature of relationships online. It's a book I read in one sitting and would re-read in a heartbeat.

I've read a number of books that are so similar to this one in concept, yet none have come close to pulling off what Erin Watt did with When It's Real. The story itself doesn't feel forced, the characters seemed relaxed (relaxed as you can when forced into situations neither of you agree with) and the relationships are organic. I loved the slow burn build up between Oakley and Vaughn who initially couldn't stand each other and it made their tender moments oh so much more real and believable. I loved it and highly recommend it.

Do you love reading Cinderella type stories? In When It's Real by Erin Watt, we are presented with Oakley Ford who is your typical spoilt Pop Star. He wants to be taken seriously, but how can that be when he is out each night with a different girl on his arm and living the party life. Enter Vaughn Bennett, her sister works for the company that manages Oakley, and it seems that his manager has a plan in motion. To set Oakley up with a good girl and a nobody. To show that he is becoming more responsible in the public's eyes. Vaughn's parents passed and left her and her siblings in debt and trying to survive. Oakley's manager is offering a lot of money for this deal, and it could help her put her younger brothers through College. The only problem is that Vaughn isn't exactly single, she has been dating a guy called W. Can Vaughn explain the situation to W and get his approval to fake -date Oakley? What happens though when the lines start to blur, and Vaughn and Oakley find themselves falling for one another? Enter a love triangle as Vaughn still, has feelings for her "real" boyfriend W. Who will Vaughn choose when she is asked to make an ultimatum of Oakley or W ? When It's Real by Erin Watt was a good teen read and is your usual Popstar meets Everyday girl Cinderella-type story.

I am such a sucker for a sweet cover - and When It's Real got my attention right away!

I enjoyed this more than I expected! It is a pretty typical romance-y kind of plot - boy and girl meet, can't stand each other but are forced to spend time together, fall for each other. The story is told in alternating POV between the two main characters, which I am quite into at the moment - I love how you get to see what's going on in the minds of both characters, and I thought it was used really well here to show how misunderstandings arise from two characters reading completely different (but neither one unreasonable) things into the same situation. Also, each chapter starts with tweet either by, to, or about our protagonists, which I thought added a bit of fun, and also gave the sense of the story playing out in the public eye.




There were lots of sweet bits, and a few parts where I just wanted to shake one or other of the character! Although the they are teens (17 and 19 yrs old, I think) this probably sits on the adult side of young adult (maybe more new adult?), Since there's quite a bit of f-word swearing and a few sexy times.

This would be a fantastic holiday/beach read, and I gave it 3.5 stars (sweet but hot enough to melt your ice cream!)

When It's Real by Erin Watt is out now from Harlequin Books. I received an e-book copy in exchange for an honest review, but only chose to read it because it sounded like something I would enjoy (life's too short to read books we don't think we'll enjoy). All opinions on my blog are my own, and I wouldn't tell you it was good if I didn't really think so. =)

When it's real is a very adorable YA romance with a strong minded heroine and a swoony hero - perfect for fans of Girl Online.

I found it a good fun book but a bit predictable. I really liked the characters of Oakley and Vaughn and found they complimented eachother really well.
The story is fast paced but fun and it was nice to have an inside look into the world of a major pop star. Fans of the tv show Famous in Love will this book.

RATING: 4.5 STARS

I’m a HUGE fan of Paper Princess. When I got the opportunity to read When It’s Real—early—I was rather excited. Thank you Harlequin Teen.

I really do love Oakley aka Oak. What I liked about his character is we were able to understand a little more what a real rockstar or musician’s teen life can be like.

It’s not all shits and giggles. There is the excess of more than chicks just throwing themselves at you. You are also missing the ‘normal’ that balances out the crazy lifestyle. You may be underage, but everything is there for the taking. Technically you are thrown into an adult world where rules don’t apply to you.

Oak had access to anything; it didn’t make him necessarily happy. He needed more from his music. He wants to be taken seriously and to have growth in an industry that dictates your every move.

Vaughn—by chance—has been chosen to be Oak’s fake GF…let the angst begin.

Okay so this idea isn’t necessarily a new one, but I did really enjoy When It’s Real.

The character I felt was quite redundant, was W. I know he’s there for the angst and dramalama, but Vaughn and Oak could have stood on their own two feet without W in this story. Even his name gives us the predictable outcome. W isn’t even worthy of the rest of the letters in his name. I kinda got annoyed only reading him as W; I mean he’s not in a James Bond movie.

I did dig this story, and I am becoming a very big fan of this writing duo.

The big question is—who are they really?

I highly recommend reading When It’s Real.

Oakley  Ford is a young musician who shot to stardom in his early teens and has lived a life that's been anything but normal.   He has money, fame, girls throwing themselves at him and from the outside looking in he has the lifestyle others might only dream about.     But it's an isolating and somewhat unnatural lifestyle.   Everything is architected and he lives in the public spotlight.       He's used to having people do things for him, has been allowed to run amok and has gained himself a badboy reputation.     Vaughn on the other hand is the definition of a good girl, down-to-earth teen.   After losing both parents in an accident 2 years ago she's taken a gap year to look after her younger twin brothers.      Her sister Paisley works at a talent agency where Oakleys manager and publicity machine has decided he needs a normal girlfriend to repair his tarnished reputation.   Vaughn is seduced into taking on the role of fake girlfriend against her better judgement because the siblings are struggling financially and the money is simply too good to refuse.

Was this the most unique story I've ever read?   Nope.   Do I care?    Not in the least.  Sure I have read books with similar story lines but I keep going back for more because sometimes that's exactly the sort of book I fancy. I enjoyed this book and honestly that's a pretty big plus when I'm reading for entertainment.     I know for sure it's not for everyone and I'm clearly outside the demographic it's intended for but I can easily imagine it being lapped up by the teen market.       This was a feel good, sweet little romance.       At times it felt a little like reading a 21st century fairy tale, complete with happily ever after ending.    I liked the characters,  the contemporary feel introduced by the language used and the use of tweets & insta dm's.     (Nope, never have used Twitter or Instagram.    I'm one of those "dinosaurs" Oak alluded to that still uses Facebook from time to time.) 

Erin Watt, as I understand it, is not an individual but an author duo who has become a great writing team.   I'm always curious about how this team writing process happens.   Given this was written in alternating voices between Oakley and Vaughn did they each take a character or did they work together to develop all the characters?     Either way I think they found a winning combination and I thank them, the publishers Harlequin (Australia) and NetGalley for the free advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve been a fan of the writing duo, Erin Watt since I first read Paper Princess and I was just as obsessed with the two following books in that series so when I saw their next book I knew it would be another thrilling and romantic read! When It’s Real has the same basic line of their previous books with a less than wealthy girl and a mega-rich guy but this book is kicked up a notch because not only is the guy extremely good looking and talented, he’s also super famous and basically the #1 dreamboat for all girl teenagers around the world. So what’s a guy like that doing with a “normal” girl?

Oakley Ford is an incredibly famous guy that was signed for his first album when he was only fourteen in a move that skyrocketed him to fame with every album going double platinum (with one Diamond album) and thirty sold out stadium tours in just one year. He’s been living the pop star life for five years but now it’s been two years since his last album and his manager is worried that he’s washed up at nineteen. Oakley still loves music but his passion is gone and he’s deep into a bad-boy image with partying and girls. When his manager tells him he finally has a chance at working with a producer he’s been trying to work with for years he jumps at it but King isn’t interested in working with him unless he cleans up his image and starts writing serious music.

Enter Vaughn Bennett: the brown-haired, comfortably attractive and hardworking normal girl who will become his fake girlfriend for a year to boost his public image and give Oakley a down to earth image. Vaughn is naturally opposed at first but when they offer her twenty thousand a month she has no reason to reject with herself and her sister paying off two mortgages on the house, mounting bills and their two younger brothers needing money for college. Once she agrees the stage is set. First, she’ll have to publicly break up with her boyfriend and let that simmer on social media for a few weeks. Then she’ll casually reach out to Oakley on Twitter with some amazing fanart because his album helped her so much through her breakup and he’ll respond saying how much he loved it! From there sparks will fly and it’ll be a love story almost too good to be true!

Personally, I loved how this book played out and I think the pacing was really wonderful. The first chapter is from Oak’s point of view (the book is shared between Oakley and Vaughn’s perspectives) so we get to see his manager tell him he needs a nice, normal girl and because Vaughn’s sister works in his manager’s circle they get a hold of a picture of Vaughn and decide she’s perfect for the job. Vaughn, her sister, Oakley and his entire team of people meet and decide how they’ll go about the public meeting and deal with certain factors like her sister working for the company and her real boyfriend but they’re just so genius with this stuff that it starts making you think every relationship in Hollywood is as perfectly staged as this one!

Vaughn’s boyfriend W (yes, his name is W…) was a truly loathable character, which makes loving Oakley and Vaughn together even easier but I think he still deserves to be hated as his own person too because he was just the worst excuse of a person in this whole book. Oakley however, it totally redeemable from the jerk he was at the start of the book. It is a real cliche to have the famous guy be a huge jerk and then have him reveal his true sensitive and good side to the right girl but I was eating that up like fairy floss at a carnival because you know how much I love these guilty pleasure reads.

I was so happy with how Vaughn and Oakley ended up caring for each other with each new fake date and outing they went on until suddenly it was real and each kiss was and hand-holding was bringing them one step closer to admitting they really wanted it to be real. They had a lot of obstacles in this book but ultimately there was an adorable happy ending, of course! I was really frustrated by the awful real boyfriend in Vaughn’s life and the mean fans in Oakley’s world but I really loved watching his difficult relationship with my mother progress and Vaughn’s sister and two younger brothers added a really beautiful family aspect to the story. The Erin Watt duo never fails to make a totally addictive and romantic story and it’s exactly what you need for an uplifting day.

When It's Real by Erin Watt

This is my first book by this duo and is one I quite enjoyed. It's the story of bad boy pop star, Oakley and the proverbial girl next door, Vaughn. Oakley's management team have decided that he needs an image overhaul and believe the best way to do this is to recruit the sister of one their staff to this new role of pretend girlfriend. They're hopeful that Vaughn, with her innocence and wholesome looks will present a softer and somewhat tamed side to Oak. This is actually a mutually advantageous pairing: Oak gets a cleaner image presented to the world and, with the money she'll be getting paid, Vaughn can contribute greatly to her family situation.

I really liked the characters even when they weren't at their most likable, for example Oak at his douchiest was still a likable guy! And while many would have kowtowed to Oak and his fame, Vaughn certainly held her own and gave as good as she got. A pushover she was not.

Overall, I thought this was a great read and it's certainly encouraged me to bump up the duo's previous books on my TBR. I found the writing style engaging and it had me eager to keep returning back to the story.

*arc received from Netgalley in exchange for honest review.

**Reviewed by Melinda for Joandisalovebooks Blog.

This type of book is my guilty pleasure. I love them, and just can't read enough.

Oakley is a famous singer who has had a song writing/producing block for two years, and his image is sliding.

Oakley's manager convinces Oakley to hire a normal girl to be his 'girlfriend' to help improve his image, and his chance to work with big time producer Donovan King.

Vaughn is your typical girl next door. Living with her older sister and two younger brothers, after being orphaned two years earlier, Vaughn is determined to help her sister provide for their family.

When Vaughn is offered the job as Oakley's girlfriend, the money is too good to resist!

The only problem is Vaughn thinks Oakley is a stuck up jerk, and Oakley thinks Vaughn should be grateful for the chance to be around him - other girls would die to be in her position!

I loved pretty much everything about this book.

Lots of witty banter and laugh out loud moments (I'm pretty sure my face had a stupid grin plastered on it for most of the book). Tonnes of chemistry (seriously - Oakley is HOT!) No Insta-love (loooots of hate going around in this book, I loved it!) Great supporting characters.

All things I look for in a YA contemporary.

Overall I loved this book, and can't recommend it enough!!

A major thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review!
I really enjoyed this book; although I must admit I am a bit of a sucker for these types of stories: slightly cliche, one character famous, one not, etc; and most importantly, REALLY cute. So if you're not the biggest fan of 'cliche' stories, I don't even know what you're doing here.
I really enjoyed reading from both sides of the story, from his and her perspective (and this is a really tiny, tiny thing - I really liked that the indication for who's POV it was, was just 'him' and 'her'.... really small I know, but still...)
Overall, I quite liked the plot line, although I am a sucker for when things move just a little bit faster. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed this book and loved the characters. I wish that there could've been a bigger focus, however, on Vaughn with OTHER people, not just Oakley. Don't get me wrong, they were really cute and I enjoyed hearing so much about them, I just wish that it wasn't ALL we heard about. Just a teensy bit more about Vaughn and her brothers and her friends ( I do realise there was a bit with her sister, but others...)
Anyways, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it for anyone looking for a nice, summer, easy kind of read.