I liked this book. It had a unique hook and it ended up having a lot more substance to it than I thought it would based on the summary of it. I really liked the dueling points of views chapters and I liked the mystery of what happened to Sylvia. I’d didn’t like the animals in peril parts.

This is not a romance novel. It is more a coming of age for two young adults, both with a traumatic past. It is also something of a family saga along with some very poignant moments with animal companions. I cried a bit at one point.
It took me a little while to get into this book but I finished most of it in one reading. It is a compelling and ultimately satisfying read.

A decent read. Keeps the reader wanting to know what will happen next. I find the whole clairvoyance, psychic, mentalist thing fascinating. I am not a 100% true believer but I have definitely had my fun with it.; palm readings, tarot cards, writing analysis, straight forward sitting down with someone who tries to do a cold reading. So much of it is generalized but I freely admit that at times something was said that raised the hairs on my body. I do believe in the possibility this ability exists. This story is about a psychic-mentalist who has a true ability but she also cheats for her shows. A journalist plants decoys in the audience to prove it. He is writing an expose about fake mediums that only prey upon people who truly think they’re being helped. He can’t find anything about her background so he tells her if she goes with him to solve her background he may exclude her from his expose, especially if she does her next show cold-no cheating. What follows is a whirlwind ride to discover what the big mystery surrounding her is and the outcome. Some stupid stuff occurs but all in all I was held hostage by this book!

This book is incredible! I’m honestly asking myself: why it took so long for me to read one of the brilliant works of the author!

Psychic-medium Sylvia Young thinks she has special gift to connect with the spirits. She’s only 24 years old, youngest raising star who is about to sign a contract for her own TV show. The tickets of her special performances at theaters are sold out! She touches lives, helping the grieving people have their closures but Sylvia suffers from nightmares connected with a red door: she is afraid of pushing it ajar because the things she may see can change her entire life.

She never dug out more about her biological parents who died in the plane crash and she never confront with her foster parents who never approve of the line of business she chose.

When she meets with Thomas Holmes: hotshot LA Times reporter who is determined to fix his tarnished reputation and also adamant to ruin her career, she has to gather her courage to confront with her past!

Thomas thinks Sylvia is fraud and he will do everything in his power to prove it by joining Sylvia for a road trip including meeting with her foster parents and social workers who know more about her childhood.

This book is high tension cat-mouse game. Both parties try to manipulate each other to rest their own case.

Sylvia tries to prove him: she can speak with death as Thomas tries to prove she’s a grief vampire who is getting advantage of people missing loved ones!

Does Sylvia have a true gift or is she pathological liar who is gaslighting people to survive? Why Thomas is specifically targeting him? What is he holding back about his past?

I loved her two broken people connected to confront with their own demons and learn the ugly truths about their own pasts? I also loved blowing romance between them!

The unfolding of big mystery was truly jaw dropping and heart wrenching. I didn’t see it coming! It hit me too hard!

Overall: this book was gripping mystery, emotional fiction, sentimental fantasy and lovely romance!

That was one of the best books of the year! I cannot wait to read more Nancy Richardson Fischer books in near future!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

Slow start then a page turn
I received a complementary copy of this ebook from NetGalley, through the Bookbrowse website first impressions.

This book took me a little while to get into it. I didn't enjoy the writing style but the plot was great, so even though I kept putting it down, I was still thinking about the characters. Then about halfway through I couldn't put it down.

The book is about the developing relationship between a psychic-medium and a journalist who is convinced all psychics are frauds.

I recommend this book.

I loved this book,and couldn’t put it down. Sylvie makes her living on stage as a psychic medium, making real connections with some, but pre researching others. She gets away with it until Thomas a LA Times reporter threatens to expose her as a fake. He challenges Sylvie to do her next show without any research or he will write his article. They are together 24/7 for the next five days, first visiting her estranged parents, then finding out why Sylvie can’t remember anything her first 6 years. They also start to understand and help one another. Does the skeptic become a believer, does the psychic reveal whether she’s real or fake? Sylvie and Thomas two complex characters with trauma in their best are at the heart of the novel, and Fischer writes it beautifully.

4.5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. It goes back and forth between the viewpoints of psychic Sylvie and journalist Thomas. It was so interesting get both perspectives as the story unfolded. Both characters were lovable, despite having some definite flaws. I found the added aspect of the is-she/isn't-she psychic to be a really interesting layer to the plot. I was sucked in pretty much from the get-go and did little else but read until I got to the end. Definitely recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I find myself almost surprised that I really liked this novel. I was highly skeptical when I started it, but quickly found myself looking forward to picking up my kindle again to resume reading the story. The storyline was different than anything I've read before, which seems to be becoming a rarity. After being a reader for so long, you definitely notice themes coming and going. I enjoyed this one for the fresh plot and characters. I'll be purchasing for our library. I think it'll find readership here.

I devoured this book. It is so rare to find a novel with a completely fresh plot. The author was so skillful at leading us through events. The suspense was real, but never overtook the human connections being made. She made the story believable and made you care deeply for the characters, even the four legged ones. This is a book I can recommend to all my reading friends. I am excited to read this book with my book club. There are so many themes to talk about. My favorite book of the year!

I don't usually go for straight romances, but this had such interesting characters as well as a central mystery that said characters were trying to solve that I just skipped the steamy bits and didn't mind the love story at all.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

Good story line, believable characters, quick read. I really enjoyed Nan Fischer's writing style and was kept in suspense for most of the book. Sylvie and Thomas were such adversaries most of the time but was surprised how it all ended. I see this as a future movie! Thanks Book Browse and Net Galley for a book that was fun to read with little unsavory language and flowed fast for mystery and love.

This book kept my attention from beginning to end. I was able to put aside belief and accept that Sylvia might have some actual psychic ability. The unknown events of her past kept me turning pages to find out what had happened. Narration by both main characters was essential. I don’t think this story would have worked without hearing both perspectives. The predictable romance didn’t hold much interest for me, but the relationship did keep the story moving. The pets contributed added interest, although I’ve never met an actual cat that would travel and behave as affably as this one did. I recommend this book for those who are interested in psychics and/or in discovering buried memories of childhood trauma.

Thanks to the publisher and BookBrowse for an ARC copy of this book for review.

Wow. Just wow. This is the definition of don't judge a book by its cover. I thought this would be a cute rom-com about a psychic and non-believer. I was way off base. It's so much more. It's a quest of self-discovery that's romance-lite.

I read this in less than a day because I was so enthralled in Sylvie's journey into finding out who she is and where she came from. She's such a likable character, and I wanted to know her as much as she wanted to know herself. We also get to see Thomas have his own breakthrough over past trauma, although not to the extent of Sylvie's.

If you're looking for a cute and light opposites attract romance, this is not it. The romance is not a main focus and, for once, that was fine with me. The romance also had an open-ending, which I know is not for most romance readers. But, as I said, romance is not the main focus, so it doesn't follow the same formula. The characters and their stories are what will draw you in a keep you until the end.

This is the first book that I've read in a while that I could not put down. On the surface, it's the story of two adversaries, Sylvie, a rising psychic-medium who may be a fraud and Thomas, a journalist, out to prove she is one. Thomas wants a story and challenges Sylvie to do her next show without the prep she usually does researching her audience to find those looking to connect to their loved ones. She agrees and they begin a weeklong journey seemingly to come to a conclusion about what Sylvie is really about. It's difficult, at times, to know who to root for; Sylvie, who actually helps people whether her gift is real or not or Thomas who is driven to expose the those he sees as charlatans who prey on people, like his mother, desperate to find peace. Their divisive journey becomes a shared goal as they work to discover Sylvie's past. In the end, they are two very broken people that discover the best in each other while becoming their true selves.

Wow! After a series of rom-coms, this book was such a unique and different read. I was completely absorbed in the story after the first chapter and it kept me guessing throughout. This is one I don’t want to say too much about as I think it’s a better read than the description may make it sound.

The characters were strong, the psychic storyline was very unique, and the subtle mystery quality of the book kept me hooked- I read this one in a day and would highly recommend!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing for my gifted review copy.

Whether or not you believe in psychics or mediums, "Some of It Was Real" is an entertaining book. Sylvie, the psychic/medium, gets a visit from Thomas, a journalist who wants to expose her as a fraud.

Sylvie is an orphan who remembers none of her life before her adoptive parents. Thomas grew up with his mother following a car crash that killed his father and brother. From his preparation for his article about her he also knows more about Sylvie's past than she does.

Sylvie doubts herself. She doesn't know how much of her success is due to the research she does about her subjects before each show and how much has its origin in her unusual abilities. She has given remarkably accurate predictions at times-- without any preparation.

Thomas wants to dislike Sylvie. Sylvie doesn't want to lose her livelihood. Both become convinced that Sylvie needs to learn what happened in her forgotten first six years of life.

Nan Fischer tells the story from both Sylvie's and Thomas's viewpoints, alternating chapters to do so.

Fischer lets the reader make up his/her mind about mediums and psychics. The rest of the main characters' stories may be at least equally important anyway.

Winning Story!

Part romance, part mystery, Some of it Was Real by Nan Fischer is hard to put down.

Sylvie is a psychic-medium. Adopted at age 6, Sylvie cannot remember her childhood prior to that time and is subject to recurring nightmares and panic attacks. Thomas is a journalist who is determined to prove that Sylvie is a fraud. The tragic accident that claimed the life of his father and brother has left his mother obsessed with trying to reach them on the other side and unable to move on with her life. Thomas hopes exposing mediums like Sylvie will end her obsession.

Their attraction grows even as he seeks to ruin her career and she maneuvers to stop him. The fact that they are both inherently kind and decent people leaves the reader hoping for a happy ending for both of them.

This is an extremely enjoyable book that will have you reading far into the night.

For fans of psychic phenomena, and love stories. The glimpses into the spirt world are the best parts of the book. The on- again, off- again love story, not so much. The author does provide the characters with some depth, but some of the back-stories are sketchy. That aside, the plot moves along fairly well and the ending is satisfactory, although maybe not what is expected,

Sylvia, an rising star psychic medium and Thomas, a journalist trying to prove that psychics are a fraud, go on a week long journey to prove their different agendas. They both have issues in their pasts that they want to resolve. The story drew me in from the beginning. As the story goes on, their past mysteries are revealed. I really enjoyed the story and the characters drew me in. I highly recommend the book. Their pets, Moose and Chris, add another interesting layer to the story.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookbrowse for the opportunity to read and review this book.

If you are in the mood for a fun, light read that engages from the first page, why not give "Some of It Was Real" by Nan Fischer a try? When Sylvie, a young up-and-coming psychic who nevertheless doubts her gifts, collides with Thomas, a cynical newspaper reporter out to discredit her, they begin a journey that will illuminate the past and the secrets that lurk there. As they each confront their dark places they discover long buried secrets and explore the meaning of love, especially familial love, along with other topics like religion thrown in for good measure. There are a couple of bodice ripping instances so you may want to skip the steamy scenes if that is not your thing. Through it all Sylvie attempts to prove to Thomas - and to herself - that her psychic abilities are real. The real question, however, is can she convince you, her reader?