{"id":34690,"date":"2018-07-10T08:00:23","date_gmt":"2018-07-10T12:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/?p=34690"},"modified":"2020-01-17T22:07:37","modified_gmt":"2020-01-18T03:07:37","slug":"new-release-excerpt-giveaway-arc-review-the-real-deal-by-lauren-blakely","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/?p=34690","title":{"rendered":"New Release, Excerpt, Giveaway & ARC Review: The Real Deal by Lauren Blakely"},"content":{"rendered":"

A sexy, witty, and heartfelt brand new standalone romantic comedy from #1 New York Times\u00a0<\/i>bestseller Lauren Blakely, THE REAL DEAL is sure to make you swoon, laugh, and squirm at all the right moments.<\/strong><\/h4>\n

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THE REAL DEAL<\/strong><\/h4>\n

by Lauren Blakely<\/strong><\/h4>\n

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Available Now!<\/strong>
\nAmazon US<\/a> | Amazon UK<\/a>\u00a0| iBooks<\/a> |\u00a0B&N<\/a> | Kobo<\/a>
\nGoogle Play<\/a> | BAM<\/a> | Indiebound<\/a> | Paperback<\/a>\u00a0| Audio<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

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Blurb<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Sophie Kinsella meets Jennifer Crusie in your next favorite romantic comedy, THE REAL DEAL!<\/strong><\/p>\n

April Hamilton wants you to know she hasn\u2019t been on Craigslist since that time she sold her futon after college. She doesn\u2019t even spend that<\/em> 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\u2019t 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\u2019s ready to pay to play.<\/p>\n

Heading Home and Need a Buffer? I\u2019m the REAL DEAL.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Theo Banks has been running from the past for years. He\u2019s this <\/em>close to finally settling all his debts, and one more job as a boyfriend-for-hire will do the trick. He\u2019s no gigolo. Please<\/em>. He\u2019s something of an actor, and he knows how to slip into any role, including pretending to be April\u2019s new beau — the bad boy with the heart of gold.<\/p>\n

Even if it means sleeping in close quarters in that tiny little bed in her parents\u2019 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.<\/p>\n

She only wanted to show her family once and for all that she had no need to settle down.<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t expect to have the time of his life at her parent\u2019s home.<\/p>\n

They didn\u2019t plan on loving every single second of the game.<\/p>\n

But can a masterful game of pretend result in true love?<\/p>\n

Find\u00a0The Real<\/em> Deal<\/em> on\u00a0<\/em>GOODREADS<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Review<\/strong><\/h4>\n

4 \u201cKeep me\u201d stars!<\/p>\n

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\u2019t about to change things now. Except, she can\u2019t fight the inevitable when the fake relationship starts to feel real and all the rules get thrown out the window.<\/p>\n

We were never truly playing pretend. We were real from the start.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Sweet, swoony, and sexy, I thoroughly enjoyed The Real Deal<\/i> and loved the entertaining storyline and original characters. I was sucked into the story and couldn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n

\u2026that voice.
\nIt\u2019s deep and gravelly and sexy as hell. His voice might get me pregnant. I better take birth control so I don\u2019t conceive aurally.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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\u2019t help but fall for him quickly. He thinks he doesn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n

The entire storyline was delightful. The family reunion is totally ridiculous but so much fun.\u00a0It 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 \u201cstory.\u201d 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll the stories we tell feel true to me.\u201d
\n\u201cThey\u2019ve always felt true to me, too.\u201d
\nI nip her collarbone. \u201cFrom the start. From the second I met you. Don\u2019t ever forget that, okay?\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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\u2019s family over, and his brother brought another angle to the story. I didn\u2019t know how things were going to play out so it kept me on my toes and made me invested in April and Theo\u2019s happiness.<\/p>\n

The Real Deal<\/i> 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\u2019t keep the smile off my face. I loved it all!<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to keep you around.\u201d
\nI bury my face in her neck, kiss her skin, nibble on her ear. \u201cKeep me.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

*ARC generously provided by the author and Inkslinger PR via St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley in\u00a0exchange for an honest review*<\/i><\/p>\n

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Excerpt<\/strong><\/h4>\n

~THEO~<\/p>\n

I can be anyone you want.<\/p>\n

I can transform into the boss you\u2019re banging, your hot nerdy coworker who\u2019s only<\/em> a friend, your best friend\u2019s brother you\u2019ve 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\u2014yes, some women like to play with buried treasure\u2014and the bad boy who will drive your family bananas.<\/p>\n

How would you reach me if you needed me?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not that hard. You just have to know what you\u2019re looking for and plug the right terms into that trusty old search engine. You might even find me the next time you\u2019re hawking a Cuisinart or hunting for a used exercise bike on GigsforHire. There, you\u2019ll 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\u2019s in demand for weddings, reunions, Christmas parties, barbecues, and any other occasion where you might need a date.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not an escort, a gigolo, or a stripper. This isn\u2019t about fluid exchange. My job is to become your arm candy, and you can pick the flavor you want. I\u2019ve played them all.<\/p>\n

And there\u2019s one role that outsells all the others. By far, the most popular part has been the bad boy.<\/p>\n

Trust me when I say I wasn\u2019t your average bod boy. I was the goddamn dictionary definition, and this ad was my golden ticket:<\/p>\n

Heading Home and Need a Buffer? I\u2019m Your Man<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m a good-looking 28-year-old ex-con. But I swear the time I got nabbed, it wasn\u2019t 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\u2019s painted like a snarling leopard. I\u2019m a bartender and work till 2 a.m.<\/span> at a dive bar. If you\u2019d 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\u2019re in a serious and committed relationship. Your choice.<\/p>\n

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Reader’s\u00a0Choice Giveaway!<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n

Everything you need for Date Night except the date:)
\nFind the perfect date in the Real Deal! <\/strong><\/h4>\n

$100 gift card to the restaurant of your choice
\n$50 gift card to the movie theater of your choice
\n$50 gift card to the retailer of your choice
\n($200 value)<\/strong><\/h4>\n

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ENTER HERE<\/strong><\/a><\/h4>\n

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The Escapist Bool Blog is not responsible for this giveaway.<\/em><\/p>\n

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About the Author\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\"\"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<\/a><\/p>\n

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WEBSITE<\/strong><\/a> | <\/strong>FACEBOOK<\/strong><\/a> | <\/strong>TWITTER<\/strong><\/a> | <\/strong>NEWSLETTER<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0| <\/strong>GOODREADS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A sexy, witty, and heartfelt brand new standalone romantic comedy from #1 New York Times\u00a0bestseller Lauren Blakely, THE REAL DEAL is sure to make you swoon, laugh, and squirm at all the right moments.   […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":49454,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","yasr_overall_rating":3.899999999999999911182158029987476766109466552734375,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"Product","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[65,9],"tags":[59,56,344,48],"class_list":["post-34690","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lol-funny","category-romance","tag-arc","tag-lauren-blakely","tag-new-release","tag-review"],"yasr_visitor_votes":{"stars_attributes":{"read_only":false,"span_bottom":false},"number_of_votes":0,"sum_votes":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/The-Real-Deal-350x560-1.jpg?fit=200%2C300&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7gaNL-91w","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34690","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=34690"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34690\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/49454"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=34690"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=34690"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=34690"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}