Sweet and amusing, The Real Deal is the story of a girl going to her family reunion and the man she hires to be her boyfriend. What could possibly go wrong? This is the first book I've read by Lauren Blakely and I enjoyed it a lot. Theo has so many secrets, but mostly because he's guarding his heart. Similarly, April also has trust issues and doesn't let men close.

I am so in love with her family. They are crazy and kooky, nosy, and close. It would be so cool to have a family who regularly get together for competitions and such. Theo doesn't have that, but he does have a brother he would do anything for.

And oh these two, with the witty banter! Theo and April like making up stories, that's my favorite part of the book. They are sexy, romantic, and funny. This was a good love story with a great happy ending.

As much as a few Blakely reads have given me joy (real talk : more lols than joy), I've also been plagued with a lot of 'yeah it was cute but whatevers' from her, too. Sometimes that's all you want, though, so I was happy enough with that when I needed it, even as I was shifting away from her books instead of clamouring for any new releases. But I risked a chance and gave THE REAL DEAL a shot because of the switch from smutty contemporary to something more women's fic'y. And honestly I think I liked this even less than the smutty ones.

Despite having a fake boyfriend trope, which is pretty much catnip for the Romancelandia crowd (this chick included), this book was just.. weird. The author is definitely channeling a more mature voice, no witty fourth wall breakage or snarky insight, but it also felt kind of awkward. True it's an ARC so some of the stumbling sentences and weird transitions could be corrected prior to the final but I have a feeling it's just how it was written. Combined with a relationship that moves faster than the speed of light, especially one hampered by the fake trope and compounded by even more lies -- which make it even less likely; some really bizarre choices on the heroine's behalf (I mean, really, you invited your fake boyfriend to your family reunion and three days in you invite his brother? you don't even <b>know</b> these people!) and some overthetop angsty and hard knock life backstory on the hero's side.. it's just a lot and I wasn't buying what this was selling. Not at all.

"<i>Do you remember that time we met and fell in love in just four days?</i>"
"<b>It seemed crazy that we could fall in love so fast.</b>"

(camera pans, Office-style, to me. "it did seem crazy, yes it did.")

Honestly the only highlight was the heroine's profession (she was sorta a special effects make-up artist) and the idea of this crazy competitive family reunion full of games. But even the down-home, small town life of Wistful (yeah..) was made to be kinda irritating because of the way <s>I forgot her name already</s> April's family kept trying to sell it to her, to match her up with eligible townies, in order to make her move back home. Oh, and that reminds me, ontop of refusing to stop matchmaking, to the point that a grown woman fakes a relationship to get her entire family to back off, you're telling me after how many years of April explaining her job, it takes a <b>man</b> to finally ram it home to her parents? Talk about man'splaining, my god.

Yeah, obviously this wasn't a winner for me. But I'm the odd duck out on this one so far. And for all the joy (see aforementioned comment RE joy = laughs) that I've had from Blakely with a few memorable reads over the last few years, I think I'm going to have to move on from this author. The meh does not outweigh the good and while we've had some good times.. there just haven't been enough to keep on reading.

1.5 stars

This was cute and fun and I did enjoy the characters, but the relationship happened a little too quickly for me and the dialogue felt a little unrealistic. There was something that held me back from getting fully immersed into the story. It was probably my own fault, I don't think I was in quite the right mood for this at the time I read it because fake dating is one of my favorite tropes. Maybe I'll try it again sometime soon and feel differently. I definitely still recommend you check it out because I'm in the minority so far with my mixed feelings and it was pretty fun!

The Real Deal by Lauren Blakely is exactly that....the real deal. This romantic comedy was spot on, and I loved every minute of it.

Both April and Theo were such strong, well-developed characters, and the banter and back-and-forth between the two was the BEST. I thoroughly enjoyed the scenarios and fantasies they invented for their fake relationship, and they played off each other seamlessly.

Theo and April shared an instant connection upon meeting, but due to their particular situation (a supposed fake, platonic relationship), their physical chemistry was a slow burn. The anticipation and build up was so worth it! Hot, hot, HOT.

Side note: I would like to have a family reunion like the one April's family hosts.

Also, it looks like I need to move Lauren Blakely's books up on my TBR.

***I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.***

4.25⭐
The Real Deal was a light-hearted, charming, and very absorbing story. That drew me in from the start and never let go. As it was sweet, full of sparks and banter. And I loved the romance that developed between Theo and April. As it was so quirky and fun. As were the secondary characters. And for me it really was a great summer read. That I would happily recommend to others.

A stand-alone romantic comedy from one of my favourite authors and this book did not disappoint.
April Hamilton lives in New York doing what she loves body painting but her family back home in Wistful can’t understand why she needs to live in New York and why she has chosen painting humans as a living so as the family get together looms April knows she’s needs to take a boyfriend home with her to stop the family matchmaking, a fake boyfriend need to be invented and after her best friend let’s her down she turns to Boyfriend for Hire and meets Theo a bad boy turned good. Theo works as a bar tender and for extra money he becomes a man for hire he can be a boyfriend he can be a lover in fact he can be anything you need him to be......
This book has the perfect mix of love, passion and humour, it has a couple that are perfect for each other even if they don’t know it. Loved the characters and the storyline, if you love Romantic Comedy you will want to read The Real Deal, looking forward to more from the very talented Lauren Blakey

This is a truly amazing book. Simply perfect, start to finish.

Theo and April don't just have sizzling hot chemistry, they're so in tune with each other they're practically reading each other's minds. Their conversations where they sketch out their fake backstory are absolutely priceless!

I just loved April's family and how they interacted with Theo, and his relationship with his brother and sister-in-law was so real, so heartwarming. The author teases out Theo's real history bit by bit, allowing us to get to know him on a deeper level as he shares more of himself with April.

The writing is top-notch in this book, with more laugh-out-loud moments than I could count coupled with deeply heartfelt emotional development that brings all the characters to life. I couldn't love this book more. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

This is such wonderfully sweet, funny, touching and sexy story. April and Theo just make me so happy. They are both such awesome people and complex characters and absolutely perfect for each other!!April does not have any desire for a man in her life right now. Theo doesn’t do relationships. What he does do is hire himself out as a fake boyfriend to make some cash to pay a debt off for his brother. April hires him to go to her parents for their family reunion so no one tries to set her up. They get along great and have spectacular chemistry and have so much fun making up stories about their fake relationship. This should be easy, right? They can fool everyone, right? But can they fool their own hearts?
This storyline is amazing and different as are all of the secondary characters in the book! I enjoyed this book so much I am still smiling!!!

The Real Deal was a lighthearted,sweet and refreshing story!The romance was beautiful and both characters were likeable.Theo make me swoon and melt over him.April is such a cute and smart heroine.

It was fast paced and I enjoyed the story a lot.The plot was so good and the characters were well developed.April and Theo were a perfect couple, they fit so good together.I couldn't imagine them with someone else.I had a smile in my face with these two, they were flirty and funny.

If you are looking for a heartwarming,funny and romantic story this is perfect!

The Real Deal was a lighthearted,sweet and refreshing story!The romance was beautiful and both characters were likeable.Theo make me swoon and melt over him.April is such a cute and smart heroine.

It was fast paced and I enjoyed the story a lot.The plot was so good and the characters were well developed.April and Theo were a perfect couple, they fit so good together.I couldn't imagine them with someone else.I had a smile in my face with these two, they were flirty and funny.

If you are looking for a heartwarming,funny and romantic story this is perfect!

The Real Deal is my very first book by Lauren Blakely. I am so happy that I was given the opportunity to read one of her books. Interesting characters, and a fun story line !!! If you are looking for an entertaining, and hot summer read look no further.

The Real Deal is a fun, sexy, slow burn rom-com from the incomparable Lauren Blakely. It's entertaining, witty and romantic and readers will fall in love with the colorful cast of characters. The story will suck you right in and you won't be able to put it down as you inhale every last word.

Theo is just delicious! With his many tattoos, bad-boy looks and paradoxical tender, loving side, he's a total unicorn. He's that one in a million guy that checks all the boxes. He's got secrets and a darker past but he shines bright despite his history. I just loved his character and all of his many sides! April is creative, light-hearted and sweet with a side of spicy that only Theo can bring out. These two are completely endearing and the perfect match. I loved their instant chemistry and the relationship that developed between them before their "relationship" truly started. Their easy banter and the deliciously seductive anecdotes that they created together were both romantic and thoroughly endearing. With some stories, the characters' connections are instantaneous while in others it builds as they eventually come together. In the Real Deal, there's no doubt in my mind that these two characters were destined to be together from the very start. I just loved everything about Theo and April!

But it wasn't just Theo and April that captivated me....April's family was a total hoot! Every last one of them charmed me and kept me laughing. Blakely never fails to come up with the most amusing and memorable characters.

From start to finish, The Real Deal is just that.....the real deal! It's light, fun, entertaining and the perfect story to dive right into. With a happily ever after ending, this is a definite 5-star, must-read.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I'd like to be able to give this 4.5 stars...

This book has much to recommend it. Theo and April are a couple who shouldn't but do fall in love. They are a Real Deal. Each of them brings their baggage to the relationship, each of them grows as a result of their interactions with the others. We have to wait a long time in the book before the hook up occurs, and it works — there is lots of tension of the good type. For the reader, for the characters.

But it's not my favourite Lauren Blakely book. I struggled a bit to get into the characters. I think I never quite understood April's occupation and given how that's used as a vehicle to explore some of the dynamics of the relationship it was difficult to get there. I found Theo an engaging character, but I had a little less sympathy for April too. She has a lot of things going for her, and perhaps we don't spend enough time really exploring her aversion to relationships.

None of this is a showstopper and for Lauren Blakely fans this is a must read of course. But it's different. Also, it's almost unrelated in terms of characters to any of her other books. Normally there's a lot of crossovers.

Yet again Lauren delivers characters in the form of Theo & April that worm their way into your heart!
April needs a man to travel back home for her family reunion, she's tired of her family always trying to set her up with men at home just so she'll move back! Throw in Theo, her pretend boyfriend for the week, hot guy with a past he's trying to keep a secret, but he's falling for April, can he trust her to open up to her and have her not walk away fro him?
Follow their story in this rom-com by Lauren, that I'm giving 5 Real Deal stars to because it gave me butterflies in my belly! All the feels, make sure you grab this one!

April has had some bright ideas before, but some may say they are a little zany, hairbrained or even down right plain batty - this time, she is hiring a boyfriend to take to her family's annual summer reunion. She is hoping to pass him off as the real deal. Nothing can go wrong, right?!!

I loved it, I just loved it with its wittiness and banter between April and Theo, it was delightful. But there is also a richness to the story with their backgrounds that takes this book to a higher level. Classic Blakely excellence.

Theo has a past that is hard for him to admit to and tries hard not to talk about it so he isn't lying. He is the wizard of impromptu and telling a tale along with accents! At times it is hard for April to know what is real and what is part of the act. He fits so well into her family dynamic and it astounds him that he can enjoy it too. He is fiercely loyal, especially to his brother, Heath. April had been burnt before with an ex boyfriend, so she had put herself in solitary confinement. Not sure how long that is going to last with Theo around. She is a very independent woman living and creating a life for herself in NYC. Even though she loves her family deeply, she still wants to pursue her career because she is damn good at it. These two had such instant chemistry and I was mesmerised from the start. This book is not just for the Blakely fans, it is one that would be loved by all rom-com and contemporary romance junkies like me.

It's been quite a while since I've read a Lauren Blakley book. Why I'm not sure since this book reminded me of all the things I love about her writing. Her stories are filled with humor, passion, and romance along with characters you would love to call your friends. This book is all that and more. In this she introduces us to Theo and April. Theo's had it tough. In the past he's done whatever he had to do to get by. At one point he wasn't above breaking a law or two but now he's completely legit. His current side business of a completely fake boyfriend service helps pay the bills. That's how he first meets April. To get her loving but overbearing family off her back about dating she needs Theo as her fake boyfriend for the upcoming family reunion. Keeping things platonic should be no problem. Yeah right!

I definitely recommend this one.

This was a very enjoyable read. The relationship between Theo and April and the stories that they weave really suck you in. Although with the aspect of the family reunion I expected much more drama and shenanigans but it was a great read!

oh. my. GAWD.

tell me, are all of lauren blakely's books this AMAZING?!!!!! WHY DID NO-ONE TELL ME.

i'll be the first to admit, i judge books by their titles and covers. so i have other lauren blakely books on my list and some on my kindle, but i figured they would be for when i was in the mood for a certain type of book. don't get me wrong, i'm always in the room for romance, sometimes i like a lot of story with my steamy, other times i'm okay with the steam taking the lead. and those covers and titles of her other books scream steam, which is great and fine, but i'm just explaining where my expectations were.

when i saw this on netgalley i figured it was a great way to read a new-to-me-author and if i liked this one, i'd tackle her other books that are wildly popular. but i will admit, i didn't have super high expectations.

I LOVE WHEN I'M WRONG. or when a book exceeds my expectations because i am a judge mcjudgerson.

seriously. LOVE IT. this book was EVERYTHING amazing about a romance and yes i'm going to keep using shouty caps because this is a SHOUTY CAPS WORTHY BOOK. for real though - it was hilarious, i was laughing from literally the first few pages. it was sexy and romantic AF - slow burn fake to real relationship? sign me the shit up. it was cute and adorable, with the right amount of sweet with the sexy. it is a bit a insta lovey, the book only spans 4 or 5 days. that being said because of the slow-ish burn, it doesn't feel like insta love so i say it gets a pass. the characters were well developed and i wanted to smoosh them together. i loved their banter and inside jokes, their stories. the ending was the most adorable thing i've ever read and i loved it so so much. the writing was fantastic, never stilted or clunky, it flowed immediately and i was sucked in from the get go. it was fast paced and interesting, not overly angsty but just enough to give you all the feels. it read like a romantic comedy and i love those. i'll definitely be checking out her other books.

i seriously suck at reviews when i love a book - all i can say is that i LOVED it and i hope you do too.

My heart is swelled with happiness from reading this book. Reading a book by Lauren Blakely you pretty much have a "Satisfaction Guaranteed", unofficially of course, but I have never read one of her books that I wasn't totally satisfied with. This is no different. I laughed and my heart got all mushy as I read April and Theo's story.

April lives in New York City and is living her dream. She has sworn off men for the time being and is focusing on her career. Her sweet loving meddling family has decided she needs to meet a good man from her hometown of Wistful Connecticut and just move back home with them. With the family reunion coming up, April decides she needs to take a buffer "fake boyfriend" with her to the reunion to ward off her family's attempts of hookups. Her bestie was going to do her the honors but last minute he had to cancel so he sent her to the next best solution. Theo Banks is a struggling bartender/"actor" and has an add on Craigslist to rent a boyfriend for whatever occasion. April decides this is the perfect solution for her and they met, agree on a price, and begin their little ruse to keep her family from driving her nuts with potential hometown dates.

Funny thing about having a pretend boyfriend/girlfriend. The lines seem to cross on what's pretend and what's real and what you hope isn't pretend anymore.

This book will make you laugh and feel all bubbly from the happy between these two characters. I enjoyed April's family and all the hometown feel of them. I also teared up from the emotion of this book. My heart broke a time or two for both April and Theo. I also loved how a former book was pulled back in this story. Small glimpse from Mr. O. I love how this author will give us tidbits from other books to bring our old favorites back to us. It makes the characters more real, as though they are our friends and we are catching up from time to time.

I received an early copy from Netgalley to read and review and give my honest opinion. I loved this book. It is The Real Deal, funny, sexy, and heart melting with HEA. I highly recommend this book.

Oh god, Lauren Blakely never ever ever disappoints. This book was yet another true LB masterpiece, romcom meet fake relationship meet romantic af = perfection!

I freaking loved this book! It was everything you crave in a good romcom. It had those laugh out loud moments, the freaking sweetness and romantic moments that make you swoon and wish your new book-boyfriend existed IRL, and that little bit of angst that makes everything hurt for a second and absolutely delightful the next.
I devoured this baby, honestly couldn't put it down, it was just sooo good. I need a Theo Banks in my life. He was perfect! But I also loved April so so much. She was amazing and I really enjoyed getting to know both their families. Everything in this book was amazing and kept me glued to the pages till the very end with the love, humor, friendship and the freaking chemistry, hmm was it was delicious to read.

If you're a fan of romcoms, fake relationships, Lauren Blakely or just a damn good book to read, this is a MUST read.