A sexy, witty, and heartfelt brand new standalone romantic comedy from #1 New York Times bestseller Lauren Blakely, THE REAL DEAL is sure to make you swoon, laugh, and squirm at all the right moments.
THE REAL DEAL
by Lauren Blakely
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Blurb
Sophie Kinsella meets Jennifer Crusie in your next favorite romantic comedy, THE REAL DEAL!
April Hamilton wants you to know she hasn’t been on Craigslist since that time she sold her futon after college. She doesn’t even spend that much time online. And even if she did, she would not be looking up personal ads. But going home alone for her family’s summer reunion is an invitation for every single relative to butt into her personal life. She simply can’t handle another blind date with the butcher, the baker or the candlestick maker from her hometown. So when she finds the Craigslist ad for a boyfriend-for-hire, she’s ready to pay to play.
Heading Home and Need a Buffer? I’m the REAL DEAL.
Theo Banks has been running from the past for years. He’s this close to finally settling all his debts, and one more job as a boyfriend-for-hire will do the trick. He’s no gigolo. Please. He’s something of an actor, and he knows how to slip into any role, including pretending to be April’s new beau — the bad boy with the heart of gold.
Even if it means sleeping in close quarters in that tiny little bed in her parents’ inn. Even if it means spinning tales of a romance that starts to feel all too true. What neither one of them counts on is that amid the egg toss, the arm wrestling, and a fierce game of Lawn Twister that has them tangled up together, they might be feeling the real deal.
She only wanted to show her family once and for all that she had no need to settle down.
He didn’t expect to have the time of his life at her parent’s home.
They didn’t plan on loving every single second of the game.
But can a masterful game of pretend result in true love?
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Review
4 “Keep me” stars!
What do you do when you need a date to a family reunion? Hire one, of course. April hires Theo to act as her plus-one in order to get her matchmaking family off her back. She could have never imagined that she would start to develop feelings for her fake boyfriend, especially since she is on a relationship diet. She has sworn off men after being burned in the past and she isn’t about to change things now. Except, she can’t fight the inevitable when the fake relationship starts to feel real and all the rules get thrown out the window.
We were never truly playing pretend. We were real from the start.
Sweet, swoony, and sexy, I thoroughly enjoyed The Real Deal and loved the entertaining storyline and original characters. I was sucked into the story and couldn’t help but root for a happily-ever-after the moment I met April and Theo. April is witty, fun, and unique. I loved her job and was glad she followed her dreams. She is a total hoot and the things that come out of her mouth are hilarious. And when I comes to Theo, I felt the exact same way she did.
…that voice.
It’s deep and gravelly and sexy as hell. His voice might get me pregnant. I better take birth control so I don’t conceive aurally.
I understood why she felt the need for a date to the family function and I think that Theo is the perfect person for her. He is sexy, smart, and sweet. Soft inside with a hard exterior, I couldn’t help but fall for him quickly. He thinks he doesn’t deserve a person like April, someone who grew up with without a past like his but he is so wrong. He is swoony and considerate, and he deserves to be loved unconditionally.
The entire storyline was delightful. The family reunion is totally ridiculous but so much fun. It was the perfect set up for Theo and April to fall in love. They are real with each other, only pretending when in the presence of others, and I loved watching them grow closer. Their fake relationship allowed them to be themselves with no pretense or hesitation. I enjoyed watching them open up and I loved every time they slid back into their “story.” I could feel the undercurrent of desire that they wanted to act on. Detailing their fantasies kicks the anticipation up a notch as the sexual tension flares and the chemistry sizzles.
I loved April and Theo together. They felt like a real couple and even though they fall in love quickly, I believed their love. Their connection is palpable and I understood why everything felt real.
“All the stories we tell feel true to me.”
“They’ve always felt true to me, too.”
I nip her collarbone. “From the start. From the second I met you. Don’t ever forget that, okay?”
I loved the secondary characters. They added a little bit of tension to the mix while still making things comical. Theo had his work cut out to win April’s family over, and his brother brought another angle to the story. I didn’t know how things were going to play out so it kept me on my toes and made me invested in April and Theo’s happiness.
The Real Deal is a fun, fresh, flirty, lighthearted read that was entertaining from the very first page. Add in the sweet epilogue that is so Theo and April and I couldn’t keep the smile off my face. I loved it all!
“I want to keep you around.”
I bury my face in her neck, kiss her skin, nibble on her ear. “Keep me.”
*ARC generously provided by the author and Inkslinger PR via St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
Excerpt
~THEO~
I can be anyone you want.
I can transform into the boss you’re banging, your hot nerdy coworker who’s only a friend, your best friend’s brother you’ve had it bad for since he danced with you at prom way back when, the guy next door everyone adores since he mows your lawn, fixes your car, and repairs the sink. I can also pull off a fireman, a soldier, a cop, a billionaire, a rogue, an athlete, a pirate—yes, some women like to play with buried treasure—and the bad boy who will drive your family bananas.
How would you reach me if you needed me?
It’s not that hard. You just have to know what you’re looking for and plug the right terms into that trusty old search engine. You might even find me the next time you’re hawking a Cuisinart or hunting for a used exercise bike on GigsforHire. There, you’ll discover a menagerie of roles I can take on, characters I can play for you. The assignments rotate depending on the season, the needs, and what’s in demand for weddings, reunions, Christmas parties, barbecues, and any other occasion where you might need a date.
I’m not an escort, a gigolo, or a stripper. This isn’t about fluid exchange. My job is to become your arm candy, and you can pick the flavor you want. I’ve played them all.
And there’s one role that outsells all the others. By far, the most popular part has been the bad boy.
Trust me when I say I wasn’t your average bod boy. I was the goddamn dictionary definition, and this ad was my golden ticket:
Heading Home and Need a Buffer? I’m Your Man
I’m a good-looking 28-year-old ex-con. But I swear the time I got nabbed, it wasn’t my fault. I was framed. I can play anywhere from 19 to 31, depending on if I shave or act like I love Ed Sheeran music. My most valuable possession is a scratched-up motorcycle one year younger than me that’s painted like a snarling leopard. I’m a bartender and work till 2 a.m. at a dive bar. If you’d like to have me as your date for a wedding, reunion, or work soiree, I can pretend you picked me up when my shift ended and I banged you in the bathroom or that we’re in a serious and committed relationship. Your choice.
Reader’s Choice Giveaway!
Everything you need for Date Night except the date:)
Find the perfect date in the Real Deal!
$100 gift card to the restaurant of your choice
$50 gift card to the movie theater of your choice
$50 gift card to the retailer of your choice
($200 value)
ENTER HERE
The Escapist Bool Blog is not responsible for this giveaway.
About the Author
A #1 New York Times Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that’s hot, sweet and sexy. She lives in California with her family and has plotted entire novels while walking her dogs. With fourteen New York Times bestsellers, her titles have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Lists more than eighty times, and she’s sold more than 2 million books. In October, she’ll release HARD WOOD, a standalone romantic comedy. To receive an email when Lauren releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter! laurenblakely.com/newsletter
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