I tend to like Lauren's book she has some of the most hilarious books out there, and while I can't say I found this was one of them I liked it but didn't love it. I liked April and I liked Theo and honestly was happy that they found each other and where able to give it a go, I even have to say that I liked the secondary characters, so then why didn't I love it you may be wondering. It was the story in itself, we have April hiring Theo as her pretend boyfriend to get her family off of her back from having significant other and moving back to her hometown, I think what I kind of got tired of was that as they met and were putting together a story on how they did and to make it believable they continued to do it thru out story and I got tired of it, but that is just me. Besides that I enjoyed everything else. Enjoy!

I just loved Theo and April. Theo was so perfectly swoony, and I loved the way he and April bounced off each other, making up their stories that sounded so perfect all while weaving their real feelings into the mix. Both had troubles in their past that made them cautious of what they felt happening between them, but the tension was amazing as it grew into a nice little fire. I’ve enjoyed every Lauren Blakely book I’ve read, but this is definitely one of my favorites. I never expected the bad boy Craigslist ad-poster to be as amazing as he turned out to be.

4.5*

The Real Deal is the perfect summer read! It's sweet, funny, and sexy- everything you could want from a Lauren Blakely book. The whole fake relationship between April and Theo was terrific and so entertaining. They had such amazing chemistry and their banter was the definition of witty!

I loved April's independence and Theo's determination. Theo's a little different than most of Ms. Blakely's heroes- he's strong and confident, but he has a vulnerability that I found completely endearing. Even with all their differences and life experiences I thought April and Theo were a perfect match. I really enjoyed their getting-to-know you talks and stories and how that led to them forging such a deep connection.

Family plays a huge part in this book- the good, the bad, and the not really ugly. April's family was seriously awesome and crazy and a whole lot of fun. The women especially had very obvious and definite intentions when it came to her love life - all done with love, of course! And it made for some laughs, that's for sure. Theo's family story is a little sadder. He didn't have the loving upbringing April did, and although it had a profound effect on him, he didn't let it color his outlook on life.

Theo and April may have started off as a pretend couple, but by the end there was nothing fake about their love!

NO SPOILERS!

The Real Deal was a sweet, sexy, hilarious, and entertaining standalone romantic comedy, and I absolutely loved it! The storyline and characters were phenomenal, and I loved Lauren Blakely’s writing style and sense of humor. Ms. Blakely is one of my go-to authors when I’m looking for a feel-good and humorous romantic comedy, and she completely blew me away with The Real Deal. It has definitely been one of my favorite novels from her so far!

The storyline was incredible and even better than I imagined. The boyfriend-for-hire concept wasn’t necessarily new, but I loved the twist that the author put on it. The Real Deal had heart, humor, heat, as well as amazing characters, and I absolutely loved everything from beginning to end. There were several plot twists that I wasn’t expecting when I started this book, but I loved how everything came together. Lauren Blakely truly did a fantastic job with this story, and I can’t wait to read more from her.

The characters were phenomenal, and I loved all of them so much. Theo and April were especially close to my heart, and I loved them dearly. I loved their personalities and red-hot chemistry together, and how their relationship progressed throughout. I loved reading the book from both Theo and April’s point of view, and all of their banter and interactions with each other. The start of their “relationship” was certainly unconventional, but I loved how things worked out in the end. Lauren Blakely definitely didn’t disappoint with any of the characters in this book, and I really enjoyed Theo and April’s families. They were a little crazy every now and then, but their hearts were in the right place. There were plenty of funny and entertaining moments that made this book incredibly enjoyable, and I loved the romantic and steamy times as well. Theo and April’s story has been one of my favorites from this author so far, and I absolutely loved the conclusion. It was even better than I expected, and I couldn’t have been happier.

The Real Deal was another sweet, sexy, and entertaining standalone romantic comedy, and I would HIGHLY recommend it! Lauren Blakely always creates amazing, memorable, and laugh-out-loud stories, but she especially did an outstanding job with The Real Deal. I loved this book so much, and I was ecstatic with the outcome to Theo and April’s story. Lauren Blakely is definitely one of the queens of romantic comedy, and I can’t wait to devour more from her in the future!

ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Lauren Blakely is a one-click author for me. I always enjoy her stories. I was a little worried about the way this one started out. The first chapter or so is written in a quirky banter-style that was somewhat difficult to get lost in. Once the characters start to interact, all of that resolves and you fall in love with these playful characters. Nearly everyone in this story has an off-beat sense of humor and I found myself laughing through most of it. This was romantic, witty, and fun just as you would expect from this author. The angst is there, but kept to a minimum making this a great read. I love that April is a strong female lead. Theo is sweet and flawed and you love him immediately.

Storyline: 5
Angst: 2
Tissue: 0
Value: 5
Panty Scorching: 5
Overall Rating: 5 Stars
Kindle eArc provided by Netgalley

When Aubry’s friend backs out of being her pretend boyfriend at her family reunion, he’s quick to suggest his friend Theo for hire. Aubry is over being set up by her family. Theo seems like a dream come true to keep their well-meaning matchmaker attempts at bay. But when sleeping in the same room and acting the part starts crossing lines in her heart, Aubry wasn’t sure if this was still pretend. Especially when Theo seems to be feeling the same way.

“Who knew his thumb on my earlobe would flip the switch in me from kiss to full-body swoon. It’s like that moment when a violin solo shifts in to a symphony, and I’m played everywhere.”

Wow! This was just super adorable! A little slow burn but fun and flirty and just right up my quirky alley. April is tired of being set up by her family and Theo is just the boyfriend for hire she needs! From the start, their playful role-playing was just sexy and all I could think was "let’s act on this!" Their chemistry was at a low simmer most of the story and you could just feel it perking along. April's family was so close and the kind of well-meaning and supportive folks you wish everyone had. And they fall in love with Theo and I think Theo falls right back! The reunion and games are so addictive to read about that I wish I had a reunion just like this. I need to have a talk with my family. The Hamiltons put mine to shame and now I have all sorts of ideas on how to spark some life in our get-togethers. But I just fell in love with all of the characters and the how they met story was so cute. I want a Theo in my life. He really won my heart over in record time.

If you love romantic comedies, this reunion story is one you don’t want to miss. I just loved the chemistry between Aubry and Theo and her family was a hoot! The entire storyline was sweet and just made my heart swoon.

Romance readers are quite familiar with the ‘pretend boyfriend’ or ‘boyfriend-for-hire’ trope, so the fact that April Hamilton and Theo Banks meet one another through a ‘Gigs for Hire’ personal ad because April wants her overbearing family to stop hounding her about her personal life is a predictable storyline, but Lauren Blakely brings freshness to a commonly used story line by infusing it with comical character interactions, a palpable attraction between the hero and heroine, and a first person perspective that provides April and Theo’s internal musings and diatribes as they start a connection based on a paid transaction and slowly moves to something they never anticipated but perhaps sorely needed.

Theo is definitely more of a mystery than April is, and as the story progresses and Theo’s past is carefully revealed, his hesitancy makes sense...his need to payoff his debt and all that that process entails is understandable, and while April’s reaction to the man Theo used to be is concerning, not showing April exactly who Theo was and is will only make things that are developing between them hit a roadblock that they might not be able to overcome.

April’s family adds so much hilarity and dramatics to April and Theo’s story because due to her relatives meddling, April and Theo find themselves in some rather precarious positions throughout all the family fun that’s had and the close quarters that are forced upon them as they begin to get to know one another and find that their attachment to each other is stronger than they could have ever imagined. Imagine the squirrelest and craziest bunch of relatives that someone could have and that’s April’s crew. But, the fact that they are all up in April and Theo’s lives and pull some crazy antics does provide a bit of comic relief when things get too tense or overwhelming for what’s developing between April and Theo, so this interesting bunch of people help to balance the stress and sexual tension that seems to surround this ‘pretend’/‘real’ couple.

The Real Deal is another fantastic romantic comedy from the hilarious and gifted mind of Lauren Blakely, but there’s also quite a bit of angst mixed in with the entertaining scenes, adding depth to the plot and allowing it to take an unpredictable course, which keeps readers’ interest until the very last page of April and Theo’s book.

4.5 Poison Apples

The Real Deal by Lauren Blakely was so much to get lost in for one afternoon! It was funny and just plain delightful!

April loves her family and knows they mean well, but she is tired of them always worrying about her and trying to set her up on blind dates. You see she thought she had found Mr. Right only to realize he was Mr. Liar. Now she is okay just concentration on her work, which she loves, but her family wants more for her. With the big family reunion and competition coming up, she knows she needs a plan.

Theo has worked really hard to turn his life around. He is not proud of some of the things he had done, but he is turning things around and is so close. One more job as a boyfriend for hire and he may final be done. Theo is a man who can easily slide into situations as needed and keeping things light. That is until he meets April.

When April and Theo meet, the sparks fly right off the pages. But Theo knows April deserves so much more than him, but neither can help what is happening between them. Are they really a fake couple or could this be the real deal?

I loved The Real Deal by Lauren Blakely. April and Theo had great chemistry and were so good together. April’s family and friends were great and supportive, if a bit protective. But that is family for you. I loved seeing it all come together. This is the perfect summer read!

Happy reading!

My first time reading Lauren Blakely and thoroughly enjoyed!
Refreshing, sweet, funny romantic read.
A family reunion sets a deal forth as April looks to keep her family's matchmaking skills at bay. Theo, a chameleon and fake boyfriend for hire is up for task.
Smoldering looks, smart chit chats and family meddling makes for a FUN MUST READ!

Sweet, funny, swoon worthy, with a little heartache are just a few words that describe this heartwarming romantic comedy.
The Real Deal by Lauren Blakely is exactly that. April and Theo’s story will definitely give your emotions a roller-coaster kind of ride.
April is a young woman looking to prove to her family that she can make a successful living as an artist, if anything could ever be that easy. She hires a boyfriend for a weekend with her family.
Theo Banks is close to paying off his debts and putting his past behind him. One more job and hopefully all will be good, what he didn’t expect is April.
The Real Deal was a quick and fun read, loved it!!

Loved it!
What I liked:
The writing style
The characters
Theo
The humor
Fake boyfriend
Dual POVs
Standalone
HEA
Epilogue

I look forward to reading more from this author.

Let’s get the basics out of the way. This is a complete stand alone with no cliffhanger. There are brief references to characters from other books, but it is not significant to the storyline if you have not read the other books. I have some mixed emotions about this book. It is a quick, easy, fun read. The banter is funny, the chemistry is hot, the sex is steamy, and the side characters are great. The way they met and their careers are different, which is refreshing since sometimes I feel like I keep reading the same stories or characteristics in the romance world. I liked both of the characters in general. There were some aspects of their personalities that I had issues with, but in reality isn’t that like most people in our lives..LOL. What I had a big problem with is the whole “insta-love” and falling madly in love with someone in 4 days. This definitely brought out the cynical side of me. I’ve always really liked this author and have read many of her books. However, this book fell a little short for me. While it was a good book, it definitely is not one of my favorites from her.

April Hamilton needs to go to a reunion in her hometown and she has no date and she doesn't want to subject herself to her matchmaking family's attempts. Her best friend suggest that she hires Theo Banks as her boyfriend for hire. Theo has a past which he is trying to resolve to have a brighter future. The minute they set eyes on each other, it is an explosion of emotions for both of them! Their story is sweet, fun and sexy and so entertaining to read. I voluntarily reviewed this arc.

For this romance reader, a new Lauren Blakely novel is like a breath of fresh air. I read a great deal, and while contemporary romance and romantic comedies are generally my favorites, I read many different genres and tropes of romantic fiction. Sometimes it’s a light and breezy read, sometimes it’s a dark and stormy one, and occasionally an emotionally turbulent story will find its way onto my Kindle. I can always count on a Blakely novel to bring me back to center, though, with an amusing plot, a sexy romance between a couple I can’t help but adore and a healthy dose of humor, and it’s precisely that consistency in her storytelling that brings me back to her work time and time again.

Blakely’s painstaking attention detail is my favorite part of her writing, though. Those little details that make two people a couple – the inside jokes, the ways in which they celebrate and acknowledge their budding romance and their love, and the things they do and say and the meaningful places they go. She masterfully blends all these things so vividly and creatively, resulting in a rich love story that not only the captivates the reader but also draws them right into the story. The thoughtfulness she pours into this element of developing her stories always translates into a thoroughly charming reading experience that never fails to endear her characters in the hearts and minds of her readers.

"He holds out a hand. I take it."

Blakely’s spin on the boyfriend-for-hire trope in The Real Deal was witty, romantic, clever and so very sexy! Theo is gorgeous, smart, and a guy with a colorful past who really wants to leave that part of his life behind him. April was a successful, confident, sexy heroine, who just so happened to be on a dating diet when she hired Theo to play the part of her boyfriend at her family reunion. I loved her sassy nature and how effortlessly she just got Theo. Their whip-quick banter was entertaining and natural, and it was one of the things that made this couple’s whirlwind romance so believable. They were just so perfectly in sync.

"This is what it feels like to fall in love."

My heart thumped excitedly, and my face practically ached from grinning as I read patiently while Theo and April danced around each other, trying to figure out what was real and what was part of the act. That delicious build-up, that should-we-could-we-what-are-we-doing-here back-and-forth is something Blakely does exceptionally well, and it was fantastically executed in The Real Deal. I was tapping my Kindle furiously as I gobbled this book up in anticipation of that delicious moment when they would finally give in to that attraction, those feelings and the sizzling chemistry between them. Blakely did not disappoint—that explosively sexy moment was well worth the wait!

"...it turned into something more. It turned into the real deal."

The Real Deal was exactly what I hope for when I pick up a novel by Lauren Blakely. I adored these characters, I loved their story, and this book ticked off all my boxes for the perfect romcom. I smiled and swooned through every page, hoping right along with April and Theo for the chance to see this romance blossom. The Real Deal by Lauren Blakely gets five smooches from me!
~ Danielle Palumbo

Another winner for Lauren Blakely! What do you do when your fake boyfriend begins to feel all to real? This is our heroine, April's dilemma. If you have read Lauren Blakely before, April is typical of her heroines. Smart, brave, sweet, large in heart and small in ego. Also... April has just about the coolest job ever..... body painting! I loved that! Our hero, Theo, has not had the easiest life. He is currently a bartender and a "boyfriend -for-hire "(not an escort). April hires him to attend a family reunion. She loves her family dearly, but is tired of their efforts to match her with single men from her small hometown.
Most of the book takes place at April's family reunion in Wistful( perfect small town name). Our heroine's family is a hoot. Their Lawn Games cracked me up ( Junk in the Trunk just hilarious). It is here where the character's fake relationship begins to morph into what feels like the real thing. Problematic for both of them a variety of reasons.
Dialogue here is sharp and witty as is typical in this author's books. Characters will give you the warm fuzzies. There is heat, humor and heart. Great read!

I haven't read any stories by Lauren Blakely before but I was pleasantly surprised how wonderful this story was. You can beat a great read that keeps you engrossed from beginning to end.

April and Theo's story was fun and beautiful, from the first time they saw each other they knew it was a recipe for trouble.

They clicked from the start without any issues and their fake background stories always felt so real that we could all see them happening without a doubt.

April needed a buffer for her family reunion and he was almost too perfect for the job, she knew her instant attraction to him would be a problem but she had no other choice.

Theo was a professional, he never had an issue with keeping things strictly platonic, but he was definitely having a hard time resisting April. There was just something about her that called to him on a deeper level.
They were both so different and at the same time perfect for each other.

But Theo had many secrets that could end up ruining everything. He had to not only open up to her but confess his deepest darkest secrets, that had made women run in the past.

Could she be able to look past his mistakes?

Lauren Blakely + a romantic comedy = an automatic must-read for me! Especially a rom-com with the fake relationship trope. Twist my arm, why don’t you. After reading the blurb for The Real Deal, I was immediately intrigued. I mean, finding a fake boyfriend on Craigslist? The only thing I’ve managed to get on Craigslist is an overpriced television with a remote that didn’t work. But I digress... There’s nothing I love to read more than a rm-com and Lauren Blakely has once again delivered a fun, flirty, un-put-downable read. With an unconventional romance, characters that are lovable and entertaining, and a storyline that’s both lighthearted and emotionally gripping, The Real Deal is the picture-perfect blend of humor and romance.

With the looming prospect of being set up on blind dates by her female family members, April Hamilton is determined to attend her family reunion with a plus one. After her date has a last-minute change of plans, though, she resorts to a Craigslist ad for a boyfriend-for-hire. Enter Theo Banks, her handsome and devilishly charming new fake boyfriend. A bartender by trade, Theo makes extra money transforming into any woman’s idea of the perfect man, which, for April, is the bad boy with a heart of gold. His job is to convince April’s family that the two are crazy about each other and to keep any potential suitors at bay - a task that gets exponentially more complicated as their ruse starts to feel like the real thing. It’s not all fun, games, and romance, however. Theo’s troubled past soon intrudes on their present, threatening to disrupt their burgeoning connection.

Set in the picturesque town of Wistful, Connecticut at a family reunion, The Real Deal has a happy-go-lucky, Hallmark movie vibe going on. The undeniable attraction and overabundance of chemistry between Theo and April, combined with their quick-witted, teasing banter is enough to leave a smile permanently fixed to your face. It’s the complexities of these characters – the unveiling of their backstories and their innermost thoughts and desires – that give the narrative added depth and tug on your heartstrings. Throw in a slow burning romance with heaping amounts of sexual tension, and the steam level rises to levels that’ll make your cheeks flush and your pulse race. Every element of the story, whether it’s achingly sweet, heart-wrenchingly emotional, or deliciously dirty, combines to make one unforgettable romance.

If you’re in the mood for a rom-com that’s heartwarming, funny, and romantic, read The Real Deal. If you’re looking to be introduced to compelling characters you can’t help but fall in love with, read The Real Deal. If you like your romance with an extra dose of steam, read The Real Deal. In short, just read The Real Deal.

*complimentary copy provided by publisher for an honest review

This author has never disappointed me and this book was no exception! The storyline was well written and the characters were so well developed that as I turned each page April and Theo jumped from each page and pulled me right into their story as it unfolded!

I honestly wonder if Lauren Blakely has ever written or could possibly write a crappy romance novel. The later is something I can't really attest to, not when I have yet to work my way through the author's back list pre-Big Rock, which is how I discovered her writing. It's not as I'm actually hoping Blakely releases a bad book; of course not! Heck, as a reader, I'm the one who reaps the rewards of her awesome writing. But ignore me and my tendency to digress. Basically, what I'm trying to point out at the beginning of this review of mine for The Real Deal is as simple as this standalone romance was everything I could have hoped it would be, with a hilarious cast of characters, too!

April Hamilton is headed to her hometown of Wistful, Connecticut for a family reunion, but she isn't exactly brimming with excitement. Some of her family members have a bad habit of playing matchmaker, and April doesn't appreciate their efforts. When one of her friends is unable to accompany her, he recommends someone he knows to play her fake boyfriend. One look at Theo Banks's Craigslist "bad boy" advertisement, and April knows her fellow twenty-eight-year-old is the perfect guy to take home. Sure he's hot, but this is nothing more than a business arrangement. All it takes is a few days for a done deal to feel like the real thing, but will satisfaction be guaranteed?

I'm not going to go into why Theo has a boyfriend-for-hire gig or the deeper reason behind April's refusal of any matchmaking from her family. There's quite a bit of history on both their ends, but what I will stress is that April's experience with an ex-boyfriend who lied to her has left her refusing to become entangled with anyone who isn't upfront with the truth. And while one of Theo's sources of income happens to involving making up stories, he's all about honesty...or is he? Aaaaand I'm leaving it at that. These two had bantering down to a science, and with the other characters along with a lighthearted story with a bit of angst, The Real Deal is the five-plus-starred real deal. ♥