When It's Real

Erin Watt

May 2017 · Harlequin

About this ebook

From a #1 New York Times bestseller, “page-turning romance about an unlikely couple who overcomes the glare of the public eye . . . addictive summer reading” (Publishers Weekly).

Under ordinary circumstances, Oakley Ford and Vaughn Bennett would never even cross paths.

There’s nothing ordinary about Oakley. This bad-boy pop star’s got Grammy awards, millions of fangirls and a reputation as a restless, too-charming troublemaker. But with his home life disintegrating, his music well suddenly running dry and the tabloids having a field day over his outrageous exploits, Oakley needs to show the world he’s settling down—and who better to help him than Vaughn, a part-time waitress trying to help her family get by? The very definition of ordinary.

Posing as his girlfriend, Vaughn will overhaul Oakley’s image from troublemaker to serious artist. In return for enough money to put her brothers through college, she can endure outlandish Hollywood parties and carefully orchestrated Twitter exchanges. She’ll fool the paparazzi and the groupies. She might even start fooling herself a little.

Because when ordinary rules no longer apply, there’s no telling what your heart will do . . .

“Fun and addictive!” —Katie McGarry, award-winning author of Say You’ll Remember Me

“A fast-paced, ‘he-said, she-said’ page-turner.” —School Library Journal

“Undeniable fun. . . . A quintessential beach read.” —Kirkus Reviews

Ratings and reviews

This book was actually so good. I loved at the beginning they both didn't like each other. Id love to read her sisters story, my only complaint the ending seemed a bit rushed, but other than that compelling and well written. A great take on a romance novel, i liked that it wasn't super R rated.

5 stars — OMG OMG OMG OMG!!! I have a weakness for celebrity romances, which seems fitting given our blog name. And this one was done up just perfectly for my tastes!! It hit all the buttons that I love, and I ended it hugely satisfied! Well, if I’m being frank, I was bummed when it was all over, I really just wanted more and more and more…like a whole novella’s worth of epilogue would be great. I’ll wait. ANYWAYS. I will admit that I was worried at the beginning that I wouldn’t fall in love with Oakley, b/c he really was an entitled spoiled brat douche. And yet, I did fall in love! Watching the way his character grew was freaking AMAZING!! I totally believed in his growth, it went at a fairly realistic pace and I appreciated why he was such a dick to begin with. I felt sorry for the struggles that he faced, and watching him become the man he was always supposed to be was ridiculously satisfying. So all those moments where I wanted to smack him became worth it in the end. I love watching a fictional celebrity being taken down a peg, and having that be the best thing for them. And Vaughn was her own set of conundrums!! There were so many things I LOVED about her, she was the perfect foil for Vaughn! I loved how she didn’t fall under his celebrity spell, and how she stood up for herself a lot of the time. I loved how much she cared for the people she loved, and how she took care of them. And it wasn’t just that she showed that kindness and care to the people she was close to, she showed kindness and empathy for EVERYONE, or at least as much as was reasonable. She brought changes in Oakley just by being herself. But she had her own growing to do. Her relationship with her boyfriend, which I totally didn’t see coming (not hinted at in the blurb, and made me leery of cheating and triangles, but it wasn’t too bad), was extremely dysfunctional. Which, honestly, made me annoyed with her. But like with Oakley, I was sort of able to understand how the situation came to be, and it made her feel more realistic. She wasn’t perfect. She’d kind of trapped herself with fear. And so we got to see her growth too. And OMG, once Oakley and Vaughn started to connect, SWOON!!!! Seriously, they had a bit of a rough ride, but those tummy butterfly moments were EVERYWHERE and I LOVED them!! The chemistry was fantastic, and it was both steamy and sweet. I loved that I actually got to see them develop a relationship based on more than lust… I LOVED the way they interacted, and how they were with each other. How they brought out the best in each other, even as they struggled as individuals. And the secondary characters!!! Lots of fantastic ones, from Ty and Paisley to the twins to Oak’s Mom to King, to even the glimpses of Vaughn’s friends! They all added their own flavour to the story, and made it that much more. But Ty was my favourite. 😉 I actually fully believe that the life of a celebrity can be just awful, and this book showcased the truly horrible downsides. Having so many people take advantage of you, not knowing who are your real friends, having perfect strangers feel they are entitled to pictures with you, talking to you, etc. I can’t imagine what it’s like for those that honestly just want to perform, but have to accept the rest of celebrity in order to do it. OK, I’mma stop gushing now. I’m just so happy, it was just a perfect Lenore book and I LOVE that. I know this is a book I’ll end up rereading in the future, it just has that quality. *happy sigh*

It was amazeballs (yes made up words are needed in this text). My friend recommended it to me and I was like fine I won't like it. But I loved it!

About the author

ERIN WATT is the pseudonym for New York Times bestselling authors Elle Kennedy and Jen Frederick. The first two novels in Erin Watt's self-published contemporary YA novels in the Royals trilogy--Paper Princess and Broken Prince--each debuted at #1 on the New York Times Young Adult ebook list, and book 3, Twisted Palace, debuted on the New York Times YA series list. Combined, the series has spent more than 26 weeks on t