Get ready for your next favorite romantic comedy, THE REAL DEAL, from #1 New York Times bestselling author Lauren Blakely! April Hamilton wants you to know she hasn’t been on GigsForHire 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 … 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 GigsforHire 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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The Real Deal is my very first book by Lauren Blakely. She’s the author that I have bunches of her books on my tbr list, but I just never get to them. So when the opportunity came up to read this one, I grabbed it, and I’m so glad I did!
April Hamilton lives in New York and has built a successful career as a body painter. She’s an artist that prefers her canvas to be human. She loves what she does. What she hasn’t been as successful at is dating. Her previous boyfriend, the one she thought she might be falling in love with, said he was divorced. But he lied. Now April is on a man diet, concentrating on her career. She actually has a big job she hopes to get, one that could really do things for her reputation.
Every year the entire Hamilton clan descends to April’s family home in Wistful, Connecticut for a huge family reunion. This isn’t the traditional family reunion, though. This includes a week long competition with her father’s partner’s family in all sorts of games. April’s family loves her. She’s the youngest. Ever since she spilled the truth about her ex-boyfriend, they have been trying to fix her up with eligible men in Wistful in hopes of getting her to move home. They don’t understand her career choice and think their daughter would be happier at home. Rather than continue to fight them on the blind dates, April has decided to hire a boyfriend for hire from Craigslist. Actually, her close friend recommended him but she saw his ad and it was hilarious.
Theo Banks works as a bartender. Theo has a past, one he’s not particularly proud of. But he’s legit now, everything is on the straight and narrow, including trying to pay off an old debt of his brother’s. He’s so close to having enough. That’s why he came up with the boyfriend for hire gig. Theo has a talent for being a sort of a chameleon. He can talk in any accent, he can be suave and business like, he can be a bad boy, he can be loving, he can be rude. He can be anything his client’s need. But the gigs are strictly platonic. Hand holding, kiss on the cheek, an arm over the shoulders is as far as it goes.
When Theo and April meet, the sparks immediately fly. These two have instant chemistry. But it’s more than that. They have the same dry sense of humor. They seem like they never stop talking. Things just click. On the train ride to Wistful, they use the time to get to know each other, to construct their back story.
“Keeping it platonic has never been an issue since I’ve never been attracted to a customer. Until now. Looks like I’ll be getting familiar with how to resist temptation.”
Theo isn’t prepared for April’s overbearing family. But somehow, he just slides right in and wins them over. He actually enjoys being a part of them. He is even more surprised when he discovers the reunion is actually a competition. He can do this, he loves a good contest. He and April slide right into their roles as a couple. It doesn’t take long, though, for the line between real and make believe to become blurred. For real feelings to begin to form. Can they cross that line, enjoy their time in Wistful, then walk away when it’s time to go home? Or do they even want to walk away from what is growing between them?
“There’s a part of me that’s starting to think bits and pieces of us seem real. And the real thing is far too dangerous. Maybe this started as a ruse, but it’s turning into something else.”
This story was just adorable. Theo and April were perfect. They fell hard and fast. But Theo has to deal with his past. April has never wanted for anything and he feels like she deserves so much more than him. How will she react when she finds out all the details? Will she walk away like his last girlfriend did? I loved the way these two bantered back and forth, the way they invented their history as a couple. I think I smiled most of the way through this book. And it had a perfect epilogue.
I’ve waited so long to finally read one of Lauren Blakely’s books and now I’m kicking myself. This book had every one of the things that make reading for me so enjoyable. I hope it does the same for you.
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.
This book was so good.
April lives in New York and is a body painter. She was heading home for a family reunion but needed a boyfriend to ward off her family from the guys the pick for her to date. She finds an ad on Craigslist’s and that’s when she meets Theo. Theo is a bartender and does the boyfriend for hire ad. Their role was to be real with one another but play fake boyfriend to her family. They come to realize they have stronger feelings for one another. In the end they love one another.
I love this book. I love happy endings and how they work out their issues with one another. She didn’t turn on him and judge him for his past and that she loved him no matter what. He wanted a better future and learn from his past. Just in an all around good book. ARC provided by netgalley
**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher**
Lauren Blakely is always a one-click author for me. Her books are always fun, sexy and the story is always engaging. The Real Deal is no exception to that!
April Hamilton is not thrilled that she has to head to her hometown for her family reunion. Ironically, it has nothing to do with not wanting to see her family or wanting to go to the reunion, she just doesn’t want to put up with the matchmaking that her family seems to be so keen on lately. She decides to take matters into her own hands and basically rent-a-boyfriend from Craigslist.
Theo Banks is a guy who is just trying to put his past to rest so he can move on with his future. In order to do that, he has some debts to pay and to earn some additional money, he has started his side business of being a boyfriend-for-hire. When he gets the request from April, he expects this will be just like all of the other jobs he’s done, but will it really?
It’s clear from their first meeting that sparks are there between April and Theo. Their fake relationship begins to blossom at the reunion as they play the games and they are able to step away from the grind of their daily lives. The flirty banter and interactions were fantastic and they definitely added a layer to this story that made me as a reader grin throughout. While there was some drama and a bit of angst, it was the perfect amount in my opinion and the epilogue just tied this story up absolutely perfectly.
If you are looking for a great summer read, I highly recommend picking this book up. It will definitely make you smile!
Wow! I have never read a Lauren Blakely book I didn’t enjoy immensely. Theo and April were such a well matched couple. April has a family reunion to go to and she is tired of her family always trying to set her up with a man as well as trying to get her to move back to her hometown. What’s a woman to do? Well, seems Theo is able to offer his services as a boyfriend for hire. What starts out as a way for April not to have to deal with what appears to be her meddling family; soon turns into something more than just a boyfriend for hire when the two start falling for one another. In true Lauren Blakely style this a a wonderful rom com, with a bit of a cameo from a character mention from another of her fabulous books. You will have to read the book to find out who it is. I really enjoyed the way April and Theo bounced stories of their romance off one another when coming up with a background story for her family of how they met. I rally liked how those stories seemed to fuel the fire of the feelings they had for one another. Even though they knew that what they originally agreed upon neither could seem to help the bit of jealousy they felt at times. I found that so sweet. This is a really well written story and the ending was just perfect. wonderful HEA.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. Provided by Netgalley.
April and Theo are accidentally in HEA! April cannot believe she lost the one thing she needed to make her trip home bearable. Don’t get her wrong she loves her family, but if she doesn’t walk in the door with a man on her arm it will be open season on her. So instead she is ready to do the completely sane and rationally thing… get a boyfriend for hire. How hard can it be to fake her way through boyfriendy bliss for one week? Theo just needs this one last job and he will be finally be debt free. Taking a job as April’s boyfriend for the week should be easy money right. It just a jig and she’s quite the perk. But when lines blur and he’s wants to make his less fake and more forever what’s a fake boyfriend to do?
I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book
A riotously funny story. Full of fun characters and even funnier situations. Each character is a “character”. You keep turning the page just to see what mischief they will get up to next. It’s like having a story taking place within a story. It is beautifully done.
A great easy read. Not your typical boyfriend for hire book which I really enjoyed. Grabbed my attention from page one. Loved April and Theo together.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC received via NetGalley
I absolutely love a book that’s carefree, well written, sassy, funny as all get out, and so easy to read that the time flies by until you’re on the very last page. The Real Deal is that kind of book! Theo and April meet when she hires him to be her pretend boyfriend at her upcoming family reunion weekend that involves competitive games between family and friends, problem is April’s family is always trying to fix her up with men from their small hometown so she will move back to live near them instead of working in New York. Theo is a bartender/actor (kinda) that takes side jobs as a hired companion/boyfriend without the emotional baggage of sex or serious relationship possibilities, that is until he meets April. Theo has a sorted past, but he keeps it from April because he doesn’t want to drive her away, especially when he’s developing strong feelings for her. I loved the time they spent with April’s family, Theo’s interaction with them all, especially her father, and the easy way he and April seem to fall into sinc with each other. Just an all around great book filled with laughter, hot steamy monemts, and a perfect ending that will have you grabbing for a Kleenex. Well worth the read, so glad I was able to review this book!
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC copy of this book
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!
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
I completely loved this sweet and hilarious romantic comedy! It was exactly what I was looking for and I couldn’t get enough of April and Theo! The fake boyfriend/boyfriend for hire trope is always fun and Lauren Blakely executed it perfectly! The backdrop of the Hamilton family reunion and games kept the story light and fun and really gave April and Theo time to connect and shine without the drama of their every day lives. They had incredible chemistry (Gah! The build up was delicious!) and I couldn’t help but have a huge grin on my face while reading this book. Their banter and witty comebacks were fantastic and I loved each and every one of their “Do you remember…” stories.
One of the best parts of the book though was the Hamilton clan! I especially loved all of April’s female relatives! They had me laughing out loud with their good intentioned meddling and it brought some great comic relief when things got a little heavier. I really appreciated that though there is some drama and angst, it didn’t overrun the story and created just the right amount of push and pull. The epilogue was wonderfully sweet and I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect ending! Definitely recommend this sexy and lighthearted read!
*I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book*
This is my first Lauren Blakely book, but it will not be the last. It took a few chapters for me to get into this book, but once past that I couldn’t put it down. It was well written with well developed characters. Some heat, but not overdone and not the main topic of the story. I received an ARC in return for an honest review.