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The Real Deal by Lauren Blakely
Release Date: July 10th 2018
Pages: 337
Genres: Romance, Contemporary
Get ready for your next favorite romantic comedy, THE REAL DEAL!
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 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 thisclose 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?
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 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 thisclose 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?
My Review:
I’m always excited to read any of Lauren Blakely’s books, they are so full of life and charm. The Real Deal was no different, it was witty and romantic. It’s a story that will certainly leave you waiting for more.
At the beginning of the story we get to meet April Hamilton, she is a body-point artist who has worked really hard to establish a successful career in New York. Being from a small town, she was used to being around her family all the time until she decided to break away from her small-town life and travel to New York in hopes of making it big. But no matter what she does in her career, it will never be a real job to her family. They don’t see body-painting as an actual career and they want her to go back home where she belongs. After going through a really bad break-up, April decides to not date at all and focus on her career instead. This makes things a lot more complicated with her family and to help her see their side they decide to set her up with every eligible bachelor in their small town in Connecticut. But when she has to go back home for a family reunion, April doesn’t want to go alone and ends up hiring a fake boyfriend to take home with her. Meeting Theo for the first time wasn’t what she thought it would be like. There is an instant connection between them right away that’s sizzling and sexy! They understand each other and the more time they spend together, the more she starts to realize that he might just be the one.
Theo Banks never aspired to be an actor, but he is really good at it and if it pay the bills he’ll do just about anything. When he needs the money to pay off a debt, Theo posts an ad on Craigslist in hopes of getting hired. When his friend calls him for a gig, he immediately accepts and decides to meet April the next day. From that moment on, he has been going crazy over her and he doesn’t know what to do about it. He needs the money and he can’t get himself involved with a client. But when he meets her family, they are all nice to him and he feels like he belongs with them. Something that he hasn’t been able to feel after his parents passed away. Yet there is something that he is not telling April, something that could damage what they have and he’ll have convince her that he might just be the right guy for her before it’s too late.
I absolutely loved this book, it was sweet and funny! Lauren Blakely knows how to deliver a great story and she did it again with The Real Deal. April is the creative one in her family and wanting to make a career out of it makes her relatable to anyone who has felt the same way. It’s clear that she has a loving family that want the best for her, yet they don’t understand what she does. In the story we get to see them interact and it was so much fun to read. Their family reunion is not your typical reunion and that’s what made the story that much more entertaining to read. What I love the most about this story was the moments that we get with just the two main characters. It was romantic and swoon worthy. Theo is not your typical bad boy, he is just very charming and likable. There are problems along the way, but they help each other and it all works out in the end. The ending was very creative and it totally fit the vive of the story very well. I highly recommend reading this story and any others by the author. You will not regret it! :)
***ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.***
My Rating:
{EXCERPT}
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.
EXCERPT TWO:
~THEO~
When I clock out and head for the park, anticipation runs through my veins like a good buzz on a night out. A reunion booking could be my way out of trouble. A five-day gig might bring me very close to the finish line.
Along the way, I stop in front of a dry cleaner, check my reflection in the plate-glass shop window, and reckon that I look the part April wants: dark jeans, motorcycle boots, and well-worn T-shirt that shows off the ink on my arms. Tribal bands, a sunburst, and a compass. I haven’t shaved in two days, and my stubble is rough. If she wanted clean-cut and business attire, I’d have covered up the tats with a crisp white shirt and a fine silk tie, then slid a blade across my jaw in the a.m. If she wanted sophisticated, I’d have given her the smooth, James Bond voice to boot. She could have me as a country boy, even, in a pair of steel-toed cowboy boots and with the drawl to match.
But April wants the guy who might have screwed her in the restroom of a bar.
She wants gravel and sandpaper, ink and danger, shades and leather.
The more you give someone what they want, the more you get in return.
When I reach the park, I head to the Terrace Bridge. She’s not here, but I’m early, since I like to get a read on any and every situation. I scan the surrounding area, noting the benches, the nearby tables, the cool placid water gurgling under the bridge. June in New York City can seduce you or it can trick you.
What it has in store today is anyone’s guess. I lean my hip against the stone railing, and I wait. Two minutes later, I spot a threesome walking in my direction. My heart thumps, and I groan quietly.
Why does the universe do this to me?
Blond curls, lips like a bow, a tight trim waist. Even from several yards away, I can tell she wears little makeup—she has that fresh-faced, rosy glow about her, and something innocent yet knowing in her expression. Like Lily James, whom I developed a wicked crush on when I watched her in her latest movie.
April’s not tiny, but she’s not towering either. Maybe five-three, five-four. A delicious dream. Which translates roughly to “just my type.” She wears tight jeans, a long black shirt that clings to her figure, and a huge silver necklace with a heart charm that dangles between her breasts.
As if I wouldn’t already be checking them out without the pendant between them.
I’ve had many clients. 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.
About Lauren Blakely:
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