"Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review."

Loved this book very much. It had just enough comedy & sweet romance and the storyline was great! I highly recommend!

So awesome!! Theo and April are too cute. April, needing to keep her family from setting her up when she goes to the family reunion, hires Theo to be her "plus one" for the event. And Theo, working as a boyfriend-for-hire to pay off a debt, jumps at the chance to get closer to ending past transgressions. There are sparks between them from the time they meet, and that complicates their uncomplicated arrangement.

I loved the layers in this story. April is trying to strike a balance between the career she adores with the family that really doesn't understand why she wants to live in the "big city," and not just come back home where everyone loves her and can help take care of her. Theo is trying to keep his past behind him, and he's determined to make a better life for himself. But first, he has to take care of one last thing.

This story was so sweet, so funny, and very heartwarming. And dirty...there is dirty! We all have family members sticking their noses in our business, but it's usually coming from a loving place. And we love them all the same.

The Real Deal is a fantastic book by Lauren Blakely. The story line is unique and funny! The characters are well written, as is the whole book. I loved how Ms. Blakely did the texting parts in the book with the characters, as well as the fake history mentions of the "relationship". I laughed and there were parts where my heart sank. The descriptions of the scenery were amazing and I could picture the setting so well that I could picture the whole reunion, train ride, the town, and everything! I would highly recommend this!

April needs a buffer for her upcoming family reunion so she turns to Craiglist for a date. Theo, tattooed, sexy bartender, is the solution. The Real Deal is a fake relationship trope done well. This story has heart and steam. I loved it!! I adore April and Theo. Their banter is a lot of fun. 5 star read! I will recommend. Thanks to St. Martins Press for an ARC of this title via NetGalley.

Another beautiful funny love story by Lauren Blakely. This story is witty and sweet. I love reading books by Ms. Blakely because they flow naturally and have a nice slow build to a beautiful happy ever after.

When you've been looking for love in all the wrong places, it's easy to overlook a perfect fit. The Real Deal pokes fun at love in a relatable, but over the top sort of way. There are moments when reality seems stranger than fiction. Blakely takes those moments and runs with them. Theo and April are not what they appear to be. They are a union of convenience with an attraction that proves inconvenient. What begins as a sham, starts to become all too real. Can these two wrongs admit how right they are for each other? Blakely brings her irresistible charm to a tempting tale of love, longing and acceptance. She knows how to worm her way into even the coldest of hearts. Laughter and love are a golden combination.

OMG! Can I give a cute and sexy rom-com a 5 star?! I think I just did.
I've been a huge Lauren Blakely fan since the early years, but haven't read much of her works in the most recent years. I'm not sure why. But The Real Deal sealed the deal and I will jump back on that bandwagon.
The Real Deal was funny, smart, had great characters that conversed well and had banter that was perfection. April and Theo were the main characters, but each side character was important to their story and I enjoyed each and every step of their journey.

April is set to return to her hometown of Wistful for a family reunion. Her family always has the best intentions, but they constantly try to set her up with someone local so she will move home and be happy among them all. April is happy in the city and wants to prove that she is successful in life and love. So, she hires a boyfriend for her trip home. He comes highly recommended through her buddy Xavier. Enter Theo. He is a chameleon of sorts. He can be anyone April wants him to be. And April wants "the guy who might have screwed her in the restroom of a bar." Theo comes in rugged with tattoos and a t-shirt that reads "love sucks. true love swallows." He is a keeper!

From their first meeting, to their texts, to their "remember whens", I was hooked. April and Theo were perfection! When would they give in?! Two souls that swore off partners needed one another and something fell in their lap. Why not take the chance and go for it? And the way Theo is with her family and his flash of jealousy? He is the quiet alpha that all of us ladies want.

"This is real. This is just because."

This is the Real Deal and it's really dang good. Lauren Blakely hit it out of the ball park with this book. It may not be totally original when it comes to rom-coms, but the writing was superb and the character interaction is a step above anything else. THAT makes it original and so worthwhile.
I adore these characters and their journey. The whole ride was worth it. Every minute of it!

Theo and April have immediate chemistry when she hires him to pretend to be her boyfriend at a huge family reunion. The stories they make up about things that happened in their "relationship" eventually turn into things both of them wish really happened. Both of them have reasons for being guarded, and they each try to figure out what it would mean and whether it would work if their pretend relationship turned to something more. Such a fun read, and definitely a page-turner - I wanted to find out how things would end up!

This book is so funny and romantic. Theo and April had me in stitches. The dialogue between the two of them is witty, spontaneous and so original. Lauren Blakely is a master at writing rom coms. Received an advance review copy in exchange for an honest review by NetGalley.

Great book. I love all of Lauren's books, she is an amazing author. April needs a date for her family reunion and quick. Her best friend can't go with her he has to go out of town but recommends his friend Theo. He is the perfect date he tells her, you will love him, trust me. April not only likes Theo but she is so attracted to him. They hit it off so well, a little to well sometimes. This book will have you laughing and I highly recommend it to everyone. I received this book from Net Galley for an honest review.

This is a cute story of a girl named April that has to go home for a family reunion. She knows every single family member is going to try to set her up with a different man and she wants no part of any of them. April does the only logical thing, she hires a fake boyfriend to keep her family from trying to match her with local men. Things get crazy and things get complicated quickly. The first chapter or so was a little confusing but once you get past that, it's a funny adventure that I really enjoyed reading. I recommend this sweet, entertaining book.

This is a very fun, rompy rom com. The hero and heroine were both likeable and plucky, and you definitely want them to get their stuff sorted out so that they can be together. I appreciated that the author gave them smaller obstacles to overcome, given the time frame of the story. That said, the tone was a little grating after a while, and I do think that the stakes didn't ever seem that high. All in all, this is a fun book that delivers on the rom com vibe its going for

This ARC was provided to me to by Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin. All thoughts are my own!

3.5ish stars. This was pretty enjoyable read and I can't pass a fake relationship romance trope! I liked April and Theo's chemistry and well as their interactions with April's family. If you're in the mood for a fun, light romance I would check this one out! Come out on July 10th!

The Real Deal is pure Lauren Blakely, filled with hot guys, sexy times, secrets and lots and lots of humor. I loved the games and stories April and Theo created as part of their “pretend” relationship. Of course what’s supposed to be pretend might just be the real thing which could ruin the entire business-like agreement between these two. After tragedy struck Theo and his brother Heath, they learned how to survive and make a future for themselves, whether legally or not so much. Theo had a variety of talents that were amazing. April was also a creative soul preferring to paint bodies rather than canvases. I also found April’s competitive family to be quite Norman Rockwell and loved the way her dad treated Theo, over-working him and making him know that April was his baby. I loved, loved, loved the way Theo re-enacted scenes from their pretend games, proving to April how much she affected him with words, imagery, and chemistry.

Ms. Blakely wrote a wonderfully funny love story that drew me into her book and the lives of her characters, making me forget the world around me. I had trouble putting this book down, turning page after page, not letting go until I turned the last page, still wanting more. I highly recommend this book to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

Theo's a boyfriend for hire. Whatever you need/want he'll deliver. April's tired of her family trying to set her up. Her solution... ordering the Bad Boy special. Together they'll make the perfect fabricated match.

The Real Deal is a lighthearted romance that'll keep you entertained with refreshing characters, main and secondary. I adored the hell out of Theo and April, as well as her family. They're what pushed me through when I struggled a bit with the first quarter or so. I needed more of them and their charade. I needed to know if they would fall head over heels and give me that perfect HEA I'm always seeking.

Theo and April were wicked cute, witty, flirtatious, and the best part, low angst/maintenance. They were an all-around engaging and charismatic "couple." Add all of that to their sexual tension. The build up to the big moment. The little touches, fiery as f*&% kisses, and tantalizing innuendos. Hot damn—they were off the hook. There was definitely no acting when it came to Theo and April's connection and chemistry.

My favorite part of their journey, though, was their #justbecause and #doyourremember moments.
I loved how their "stories/fantasies" felt so authentic, as though they'd been a duo for ages, and not for mere days, as a fictitious couple. I'm definitely not an insta chick, but Blakely made me forget the timeline; unless one of the characters mentioned what day they were on I never thought about it. These two just clicked on so many levels. Which made them click for me. They held me hook, line and sinker.

I don't think I've ever said this but Theo and April had me joining the insta bandwagon!!

If you are looking for fluffy unicorns and rainbows, I would definitely recommend this one.

Love anything Lauren Blakely writes. A very quick and fun read. April’s family made me think of my own crazy family.

Sometimes I wonder why we are still reading boyfriend for hire novels but then one like this comes along and I remember that there's something sweet about watching the relationship change and grow. April hired Theo because she's tired of her family pestering her during their annual reunion. There's more to Theo than she knows; he's trying to go straight after being a grifter since he was a teen. These are two good characters and the story has a warm heart. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It's the little details, as always, in a book like this that set it apart.

Do you remember when you read The Real Deal and fell in love with Theo and April. Remember how they were so perfect together and how they played out little scenes about remembering things they had done together…things they had never done together but that fed the little lie they were telling her family? It was freaking awesome!

I absolutely loved Theo and April. Their chemistry was instantaneous and despite the deal they had going neither of them could keep things platonic for long. This was a low angst read with plenty of mature humor that had me smiling the whole time.

April hired Theo to act as her boyfriend during a family reunion that is chock full of competitions. The games aren’t the problem, the problem is her family is determined to set her up with one of the locals so she’ll stay in Wistful where they all live. Finding Theo was the perfect solution even if their “remember whens” and their pretend relationship did start to feel very real.

This was a very upbeat read with some incredible secondary characters and plenty of laugh out loud moments. The steam is sizzling although this couple don’t get down and dirty until 80% into the story. That doesn’t mean there isn’t teasing and tension…lots and lots of tension.

So, remember when I gave this five stars because it was exactly what I wanted, when I wanted it and it left me with the best feel good feeling one can expect from a book? Yeah, I remember that too.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided by NetGalley and St. Marin’s Press. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Real Deal by Lauren Blakely is the real deal. April and Theo have real chemistry. . I love how April is a strong independent woman and not a pushover. Theo is a genuinely nice guy and not a man-whore. This is a great story that I read in one sitting. I could not put this down. Very funny and highly entertaining! Highly recommend! 5 Stars!
Thank you Netgalley for providing this ARC!

4.5 Stars! When I get a Lauren Blakely book in my hands I know I’m in for a real treat! This one does not disappoint! I completely fell in love with this unique storyline as well as Theo and April. Hooked from the get go and snuck in reading time while on vacation, because it is that good. Their banter, chemistry is fantastic! You’ll swoon, and root for them. I highly recommend this book.