THE REAL DEAL by Lauren Blakely-Review, Excerpt & Giveaway Tour
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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 10, 2018
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 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?
••••••
REVIEW: THE REAL DEAL by Lauren Blakely is a contemporary, adult, stand alone, romantic comedy story line focusing on body painter April Hamilton, and twenty eight year old bartender Theo Banks.
Told from dual first person perspectives (April and Theo) THE REAL DEAL follows the fake relationship between twenty-eight year olds body painter April Hamilton, and bartender Theo Banks. April Hamilton dreads the annual family reunion where she will knowingly become the target of her mother and aunt’s need to play matchmaker to her self-imposed singlehood. Hoping to avoid said matchmaking April answers a Craigslist ad offering a boyfriend-for-hire, the perfect foil to the family busybodies. Enter bartender and ‘actor’ Theo Banks, the man with whom April will fall in love. What ensues is the fake to real relationship between April and Theo, and the fall-out as Theo’s past reveals more than he had hoped to tell.
Theo Banks is in desperate need of a financial infusion when his brother’s past comes looking for payment. A boyfriend for hire as finds our hero coming face to race with his future, a future that will all but be destroyed when his brother unknowingly reveals the truth. Theo doesn’t do relationships, and lets April know that the boyfriend for hire is only a platonic arrangement, a platonic arrangement that turns into something more.
The relationship between Theo and April is fun and flirty; sexy and sassy that continues to push the boundaries of their platonic arrangement. Theo and April compliment one another; work together as though they have known one another for a lifetime, and in the end the palpable sexual attraction cannot denied. The $ex scenes are passionate and seductive, without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.
THE REAL DEAL is a fake romance trope; a passionate and heart warming story line of family, friendship, forgiveness and love. The premise is entertaining, engaging and fun; the romance is intimate; the characters are colorful and sassy. THE REAL DEAL is an enjoyable, inspiring and uplifting story line.
Copy supplied by Netgalley
Reviewed by Sandy
~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.
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 sexy, 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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NOTE: The Reading Cafe is NOT responsible for the giveaway. If you have any questions, please contact the tour provider.
✮✮✮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, and $50 gift card to the retailer of your choice. ($200 value)
https://laurenblakely.com/readers-choice-giveaway/
