THE REAL
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Kate Stewart
Release Date: April 12, 2018![]()

They say it happens when you least expect it.
It did for me.
It started the moment I saw the simple message pop up on my computer screen:
Cameron’s Mac: Hi.
And when I met the eyes of the gorgeous man messaging me from across the coffee shop, I never thought my reply would lead to the most intense, sexual, and passionate relationship of my life.
We both agreed to check our bags at the door and put our future hopes and aspirations on the table.
It worked.
I fell in love with his no holds barred attitude, sexy smirk, and undeniably good heart . . . and for a while we forgot about our baggage. We happily tripped over it to get to the other, neither of us willing to show the contents of our pasts in the off chance it could ruin us.
We built our love on a foundation of gray.
It was life in black and white that threatened to tear us apart.



A kiss can be an introduction, statement, and a promise. I plan to make all three when you let me.
My heart. Oh my poor, cold black heart. It will never be the same again because Kate Stewart stole it with this incredible story. This is hands down, my favorite book by this author to date, and easily one of my favorite reads of the year. I still can’t stop thinking about it.
The Real was a poignant, emotional, and unforgettable romance. It was unique and beautiful. It was gripping and thought provoking. It was absolutely EVERYTHING. It tore my heart out and put it back together and I’ll never be the same again after experiencing it.
We’d spiraled from nothing into everything within a few months. It wasn’t just attraction. It was far more, both unspoken and admitted. And just as sure as I was standing on that porch, I wanted him to know.
Reeling from a terrible breakup with a man she grossly misjudged, Abbie is not eager to jump into another relationship any time soon. She’s afraid to trust again and worst of all, she’s afraid to trust her own judgement. But when a handsome stranger’s message air drops onto her Mac in a coffee shop, what begins is one of the most memorable meet cutes and wooing non-dates I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Cameron is devilishly handsome, patient, sweet and everything that Abbie wants but doesn’t trust herself to have. Their relationship isn’t rushed but the depth of it is unexpected for both of them.
There’s plenty of light hearted moments and giggles with the appearance of Abbie’s BFF who I’m fairly convinced is my spirit animal. The girl was a riot and I loved their friendship and the way she was always there for Abbie in her own quirky and super loud way.
Your resting bitch face is pretty but scary. And in the last year, it’s gotten worse. Your bitch face reads ‘Abandon all hope. You can’t stick your penis here.’ But, by the way, he just looked at you. I think it’s safe to say he gives no shits. He wants to put his penis into your vagina.”
The love between the MCs is a slow burn but it’s powerful and raw and real. It was such a pleasure to read the progression of their feelings. But of course nothing is so simple when it comes to the genius mind of Kate Stewart, and after she lulls you into a state of swoony bliss, she slams you with a two by four of feels.
But while the love between Cameron and Abbie may be real, it’s certainly not black and white. It’s a gray area of beauty and pain. Kate isn’t afraid to broach a subject matter that you don’t commonly find in romance novels and I have so much respect for her for going there. This book is so much more than a mere romance. It’s riveting and thought provoking.
My body his slave, I came apart as his name pushed out past my lips. It was his name that wrote itself across my heart; it was his eyes that spoke to my soul. It was Cameron. I lost myself, trusting him with every minute. His sex was my undoing.
I don’t have enough words to tell you all the ways I loved this book. It simply needs to be experienced. I can’t recommend it enough. This NEEDS to be on your TBR. It needs to be read. And it will surely be going on your favorites shelf right along mine.

A kiss can be an introduction, statement, and a promise. I plan to make all three when you let me.
FAST BURN



It’s been entirely too long since I read a Lori Foster book. To be perfectly honest, I didn’t even bother to read the blurb before adding this book. When I’m in the mood for a steamy contemporary romance with a dash of suspense, Foster always hits the spot. Now here’s my confession…
*pause for dramatic effect*
CLOSE COVER


I’m a sucker for a sexy Cajun, and it just doesn’t get any sexier than Remy Guidry. Remy is a great friend, and an even better Dom, but when it comes to affairs of the heart, jaded is an understatement. He doesn’t believe in forever anymore and relationships are most definitely a no go. It also doesn’t matter that he’s unbelievably attracted to Lisa Daley, a previous Sanctum trainee. She’s hands off. He doesn’t do shy little rich girls. He’s had more than his fill of her type in his life.
ESCORT


THE BOY AND HIS RIBBON

Before I get into all the fantastic things about this book, I want to address the one negative piece. I’d like to get it out of the way with, because if I’m being perfectly honest, something that I thought could ruin the story for me actually ended up being nothing but a minor annoyance in the grand scheme of things. So confession time. I actually DNFd this book originally. Twice. Now, now, stow away those pitch forks and tomatoes and allow me to explain. See originally, I stopped reading at 20%. I felt compelled to push myself and ended up getting to 37%, only to stop again. As beautifully lyrical as the writing was and as unique as the story itself was, the amount of detail and the somewhat verbose nature of the first half of this book was difficult for this picky reader to get past. The story follows the main characters over the span of 18 years. And the reader is privy to every minute detail of their life. While it sets the stage and truly allows you to get to the heart of who these characters are, for this reader that has a penchant for instant gratification, it was a struggle. So what I’m telling you is, it’s definitely a me thing. If this level of detail and description doesn’t bother you, you won’t bat an eyelash at this. But for me, I felt like a good 20% of the overall book could have been trimmed and not lost anything in the process. But again, that’s a ME thing.
The author warned that this is completely different from her usual dark romance. And it totally was. Though I will say, it did have that touch of the signature dark undercurrent that Winters carries in her writing style.
This is not a romance, though it carries undercurrents of one. This is the set up of what’s truly looking to be one epic romance in the second part of the duet. But what this book does is set that stage. It builds the blocks of the foundation that their feelings are based one. It takes you into the dark underbelly of the horrors that these characters survived and came out stronger from. It spares no detail. It leaves no stone unturned. And it’s not afraid to give the gritty, emotional, and painful detail of the mistakes that both Della and Ren make along the way.
LOVE AND OTHER WORDS

I don’t typically read women’s fiction, unless of course it’s penned by the talented duo that is Christina Lauren. Then I don’t even think twice about jumping into the story. Though truth be told, while the story encompasses friendship, life and loss, the romantic element is very much at the heart of everything. So even though it wasn’t the steamy romance that I’m used to from theses authors, the emotional connection that I developed to these characters and their story was more than enough to make up for it.


























THE SECRET THIEF






What a perfectly swoony and incredibly written treat this book was. Having never read a Nina Lane book before, I had no idea what to expect. And now I’m seriously kicking myself for waiting so long to experience this talented author. The Secret Thief was a beautifully crafted tale that kept me riveted to the pages, desperate for more, and incapable of setting it down for even a second.
New York Times & USA Today bestselling author Nina Lane writes hot, sexy romances about professors, bad boys, candy makers, and protective alpha males who find themselves consumed with love for one woman alone. Originally from California, Nina holds a PhD in Art History and an MA in Library and Information Studies, which means she loves both research and organization. She also enjoys traveling and thinks St. Petersburg, Russia is a city everyone should visit at least once. Although Nina would go back to college for another degree because she’s that much of a bookworm and a perpetual student, she now lives the happy life of a full-time writer.
THE BEST MAN


THE END ZONE


Sage is a Grade-A Douchebag-Man-Whore. He is the college quarterback, soon to be drafted, and can get anything he wants, including women. After a recent incident, he is lusting after his roommate, Jolie. He has never felt anything for her before now. Sage and Jolie have been best friends since they were kids. Jolie has been in lurrrrve with Sage since then as well, but OF COURSE he doesn’t know it, and OF COURSE he is a Douchebag-Man-Whore. There is no way she is going to put herself out there only to get hurt and lose her best friend in the process.
L.J. Shen is an International #1 best-selling author of Contemporary Romance and New Adult novels. She lives in Northern California with her husband, young son and chubby cat.
















