The Real Deal by Lauren Blakely really makes you think...what would you do if everyone from your home town wants to set you up with their pick of a perfect husband for you? They also don't understand why she can't do her job, Body Painting, there vs. New York City. It's made April Hamilton not want to return home but this time for the annual family reunion games she's asked her BFF Xavier to come posing as her boyfriend. When he gets a job of a lifetime he recommends Theo Banks a boyfriend for hire on with the most awesome ad on how he could be just what you needed him to be on Craigslist.

Theo Banks has secrets though he's an ex-con, former con artist but now is walking the straight and narrow and this next job with April Hamilton will allow him to pay off his brother's debt to a former partner in crime. But can he convince not only April's mother and father but the whole town that he loves April without falling in love with her for real?

April Hamilton loves her body painting job and get through the next four days of her families reunion and games while convincing everyone that Theo is the love of her heart and soul. But when feelings become real and she catches Theo in a lie will she be able to forgive him?

This book is totally worth 4.5 stars and I highly recommend reading it.

April needs to go to her family's summer reunion. She had planned to bring her friend, Xavier, but he has to pull out at the last minute and recommends a "boyfriend for hire", Theo, who is a wanna be actor needing money.

While playing the part of April's boyfriend, Theo and April find they have feelings for one another and each game they play brings them closer together.

Can they have a happy ending from something that started out so differently?

I have got to start by saying I absolutely adore Lauren Blakely and I don't know what took me so long to read this book. As always she doesn't disappoint.

This books was sitting on my Shelf for quite a while, so I finally decided to dive into it. This books was enjoyable but not one of my favorite by her.

A reunion, a fake date and secrets a plenty mean April and Theo to overcome. This intoxicating slow burn is so damn hot! I loved Theo and April and wish it didn't have to end, I wanted more!

A whirlwind of fun, get your copy now!

A believable mix of characters, funny dialogue and appropriate amount of steamy scenes. Its a light book with a summer time romance, the characters were wonderfully written with a great chemistry between the two. Theo was absolutely amazing. Definitely will be looking for more from this author!

The Real Deal by Lauren Blakely is a fun and sexy romance playing on the fake relationship trope but with a twist. Ms. Blakely has again brought her magic in weaving together two totally opposite characters in a romantic journey that gives you all the sexual chemistry with all the laughter. This one will definitely make you smile.

I really enjoyed this book. The Real Deal is relatable and funny. As everyone always says when you stop looking, it finds you. In this case, it's in the form of a relationship. April and Theo weren't looking for relationships, but sometimes and in this book, it just happened. This is a quick easy read. I think a lot of people would enjoy it, especially those that love romantic comedy, and also people who are coming out of heavy reads and needing something fun and lighter to read.

I love Lauren Blakley so much and this was no exception!!! This was cute and hot and full of all the things I love about Lauren’s books. I will say I thought it was artfully written as well :)

I love fake romances (and there's only one bed tropes), and this one was so much fun! I loved the quick and witty banter between April and Theo, April's family is a hoot, and the family reunion was wonderful to read about. I giggled a lot, and swooned as well. A great beach read!

3.5 stars

This book didn't end up being quite what I expected, but in a good way.

Theo's backstory and the reason he works as a platonic fake date/boyfriend made the story more interesting. I liked getting both his and April's POV as I read. It was easy to see why they fell for each other and to understand both of their relationship hang ups.

The family reunion and competition were a fun backdrop for the action, and was something I haven't seen in many books before. I am really glad I finally picked this one up!

Lauren blakely doesn't ever disappoint. She delivers a funny and romantic story about a quirky girl and her boyfriend for hire.

Is it cliche? Absolutely. But the best kind.

This is my TROPE in fanfiction, but it seems it's harder to introduce brand-new characters, have them work through their issues and wind up together at the end of one book.

Of course it was very rushed, but I definitely felt the heat of their intense attraction, so it didn't come off too unbelievable.

A fun twist on the strangers to lovers trope. Good characterization, including secondary characters. The audio is also really well done. I enjoyed the depth provided about the protagonists' jobs.

I downloaded this book and didn't have time to get to read it before it was archived. It looks like a sweet book and I regret not getting to it before it wasn't available.

Truly enjoyed this book. entertaining plot, characters I actually liked, and a satisfying ending. I look forward to more books by this author.

Fun, sexy, and perfectly sweet. If you're looking for your next can't-put-down RomCom, this book is The Real Deal!

Lauren Blakey wrote such an amazing book with these characters. It is one of the best books I read within 2018 and I definitely read a bunch of books. But this one stood out because of the characters and the circumstances surrounding them.

This book is a hilarious read, that I know I will be able to booktalk to my romance readers. I laughed out loud while reading this, and have recommended it multiple times!

This story is quirky and adorable. These characters are fun, and absolutely unforgettable. I laughed and couldn’t get enough!