The Real by Kate Stewart Published by Self-Published on April 5, 2018
Pages: 374
Format: ARC
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Amazon
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.
After reading Loving the White Liar, Kate Stewart quickly became an auto-buy author or me. I have described her books to others as emotional, angst filled, sultry, sweet, or funny. With The Real, she flexes her formidable writing muscles to produce a love story that embodies all these traits.
In a genre that frequently falls victim to fatal cases of insta-love, the creative setup of this story is especially endearing. Abbie and Cameron meet in a café, and throughout the course of many visits and countless lattes they establish a relationship by communicating strictly through instant messaging and furtive glances across the room. I love that they start to fall for each other long before exchanging words or touches. The setting of the eclectic coffee shop is über cute. The clever slogans on the coffee mugs had me laughing out loud. Some of my favorites are, “Surely Not Everybody Was Kung Fu Fighting,” and “I Wish I Were Felicia. She’s Always Going Somewhere”. I’m totally getting a shirt made with that quote on it.
Cameron is definitely ultimate book boyfriend material. He’s patient, funny, and so romantic.
“A kiss can be an introduction, statement, and a promise. I plan to make all three when you let me.”
Is that drop dead sexy or what?
Abbie is cautious, smart, and independent. Her hesitancy creates a slow burn and intense attraction between her and Cameron. I appreciated Abbie’s amusing quirkiness, and I adored her friendship with her crazy no-filter best gal pal, Bree.
Although I enjoyed the characters, the steam, the drama, and the humor, I did find the storyline to be too predictable for my taste. Even so, The Real earns a strong four stars from me, and I think it will appeal to the true romantics at heart.
Recommended for fans of:
Coffee
Wooing
Slow burn romance
**I received an early version of this book. This does not affect my opinion or the content of my review.**
Buy The Real Today
Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Signed Paperback
About Kate Stewart
USA Today bestselling author and Texas native, Kate Stewart, lives in North Carolina with her husband, Nick, and her naughty beagle, Sadie. She pens messy, sexy, angst-filled contemporary romance, as well as romantic comedy and erotic suspense. Kate’s title, Drive, was named one of the best romances of 2017 by The New York Daily News and Huffington Post. Drive was also a finalist in the Goodreads Choice awards for best contemporary romance of 2017. Her works have been featured in USA Today, BuzzFeed, and translated in five languages.
Kate is a lover of all things ‘80s and ‘90s, especially John Hughes films and rap. She dabbles a little in photography, can knit a simple stitch scarf for necessity, and on occasion, does very well at whiskey.
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