When It's Real

by Erin Watt

[Sam@WLABB]

Rating: 3.5 Stars

I really enjoyed this fake-to-real-enemies-to-lovers story. Oakley is a pop star in need of an image makeover. He had previously tried a fake relationship with another celebrity, which was not a great success. This time, his PR team wants to pair him with a "normal" girl, a commoner. Vaughn is tapped for the task, and says yes, solely because the monetary compensation would help alleviate the financial stress her family is under.

This pairing started off rocky, but they kept having these moments. The will they/won't they thing kept me listening and listening. This part was done quite well by the authors. I thought they also did a great job with the conflict portion. I know I gasped out loud when certain events transpired, and I may have shed a few tears too.

I was really impressed with the way they wrote Oakley as well. He had a lot of layers, and I liked that they did not reveal all his parts. They let us abhor him, but not entirely. A good quality here, a nice gesture there. Those little bits kept me interested in Oakley, and I was keeping my fingers crossed that he was more than he seemed. I found his relationship with Vaughn full of swoony moments, and thought he was adorable with her twin brothers.

Overall: A solid romance with a nice family tie-in.