I consistently struggle with writing reviews for contemporaries, whether they are adult or young adult. Over the years they have grown predictable and there isn’t much to talk about regarding the plot as they tend to be more character focused. Needless to say, I’m wary in picking up contemporaries anymore because they just seem to fall into the realm of “nice but not memorable”. When I first saw the cover and description of When It's Real, I’ll admit I was skeptical but gave it a second glance a...

Guilty pleasure (n.):Something pleasurable that induces a usually minor feeling of guilt (probably because you should be doing some serious real-life stuff instead of getting lost in said pleasures).There are two types of guilty pleasures.The first ones refer to characters so royally twisted and messed up that the sensible part of yours keeps bothering you with nagging thoughts like "how could you love them?", while the other part enjoys this delightful addiction. And then there is the second ki...

WE HAVE A COVER!!! SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!!!Erin Watt is writing a new fucking book!!!I would sell my fucking womb for a camel for this fucking book!For reals I would read these fuckers shopping list!!!!!

*****4.5 STARS*****{ARC Generously Provided by Authors}I don’t know when that happened, but somewhere along the line Vaughn went from the girl I was forced to have on my arm to the girl I want to have in my life. Erin Watt fans prepare to fall head over heels in love with their latest collaborative masterpiece! These two authors have struck gold again with WHEN IT’S REAL. I am not particularly a huge fan of YA but when it’s done right even I can’t deny how enjoyable these romances can be. Thi...

“This is as real and as awful and as wonderful as it gets. I’d hold her forever if she’d let me.” After reading and devouring The Royals series by Erin Watt (aka the dynamic duo Elle Kennedy and Jen Frederick), I just couldn’t wait to read their next story. I was wondering what sort of world they would create for us this time and I tell you what, I was not disappointed (not that I could say I was surprised). I know this book has received mixed reviews, especially with respect to lack of orig

4 YA Love Stars* * * *I have a confession...I'm really not a YA reader...So what are you doing reading it, Wendy...Well, it was done by Erin Watt...And since I loved The Royals...I had to give When It's Real a go...I'm guessing, this had all of the markings of what a YA Teen Romance should have. There was the overall romance of a "Justin Bieber Level Rock Star" needing a "Normal" to romance so he could clean up his reputation. Oakley started singing early on and his parents were famous movie st

Review @ Vanilla & Spice Books This is as real and as awful and as wonderful as it gets. I’d hold her forever if she’d let me. Oakley Ford used to be a teenage superstar. At 19 his stardom has taken a nosedive and to jump-start his career his manager suggests dating a normal girl instead of a co-star. Oak agrees after some hesitation. When a girl has been found that fulfills the requirements a strategy of "attack" is being planned and carried out.When Vaughn's parents died in a car cra...

3.5 stars When I first read the writing duo known as Erin Watt, I was so impressed I knew I'd pick up whatever they decided to write. When I heard they were writing YA and saw the gorgeous cover for When It's Real, it went straight to the top of my TBR. This book had a little bit for all readers. Love a good YA? Rock star read? Enemies to friends to lovers? Fake girlfriend/boyfriend? How about the famous leading man/average heroine? This book had all that and more. Oakley 'Oak' Ford is your a...

::: FULL REVIEW NOW POSTED ::: A pop star.A regular girl.The world's watching. WOW! This book was addictive, heart-warming, and so well-written!! I read it in one non-stop sitting because I just did not want to put it down! If you're looking for a new rock star romance to fall in love with, check this out! "Under ordinary circumstances, Oakley Ford and Vaughn Bennett would never even cross paths..." The story begins when Vaughn, a completely down-to-earth, no-bullshit, no-nonsense

4 stars!Review at Of Pens and Pages.Light, sweet, and angst-free, When It’s Real is a great summer read! It’s a fluff fest that will leave butterflies inside your belly and a perma-smile on your face long after finishing the book.At nineteen years old, world-renowned pop star Oakley Ford has reached Bieber-level notoriety in partying and philandering, and his label is getting sick of it. He hasn’t released anything since his successful album “Ford”, and everyone—including Oakley—is worried he’s

Instagram || Twitter || Facebook || Amazon || PinterestArranged marriages and fake relationships are my FAVORITE romance trope. I don't know what this says about my relationship goals - probably bad things - but whatever, I like what I like, and nothing screams "auto-buy!" like a book that has one of these tropes in its blurb. When I found out that WHEN IT'S REAL was about a fake relationship between a normal girl and a pop star as a publicity stunt to boost his image, I was like HELLS YEAH!

Oakley has been born famous - his parents are huge Hollywood stars.And when he was 14 he started being famous on his own. He became a pop star.And after living the life for the last five years, it's finally catching up to him. He's constantly in the tabloids for stupid stuff, he's losing social media followers, he's not feeling the music anymore.He needs this next album to be a huge success. And he needs this famous producer - King - to produce it!But King will only do it if Oak cleans up his ac...

When I picked up 'When It's Real', I wanted something that was sweet and heartwarming. I loved 'Paper Princess' by Erin Watt, so when I started seeing this book pop up on friends' pages, I knew that I'd want to read it. I was not disappointed.This book was everything that I had wanted. It was the kind of light and fluffy read that puts a smile on your face and leaves you feeling contented. Although it was predictable and not particularly original, it was still a highly entertaining read. After a...

Adding an update at the end of my non-review, non-rating rant :P*****FAKE MARKETING, MISLEADING ADVERTISMENT ALERT ******THIS BOOK ISN'T A YOUNG ADULT BOOK, IT'S A NEW ADULT BOOK THAT IS SOLD IN THE CHILDREN SECTION OF EBOOKS RETAILERS AND PROBABLY BOOKSTORES.****I repeat this ISN'T A YOUNG ADULT BOOK. It contains sexual content*****This is one more time another example of a new adult book that contains erotic elements and is marketed as young adult. I haven't read it yet, but I know the authors...

This was a pleasant surprise. First of all, long time no see everyone! I've been so busy, I haven't been able to keep up with reviews lately (or reading as much as I used to). However, I did digest this one an audio while sick last week, so I thought I'd jot a few thoughts down.Honestly, I was nervous because I had some big BIG issues with Erin's other series (Paper Princess). Especially in the consent department. However, this book seemed to make consent the focus in the relationship, which I s...

Ridiculously entertaining. So good. RTC

When It’s Real is teen drama amped up. Teen heartthrob & rockstar, Oakley, needs a new image and his PR team has decided dating an ordinary girl will do the trick. When Vaughan is offered the position she only agrees for the year long fake relationship because of her family's dire financial situation.I really enjoyed the premise of this book because it made me think if I was a teen girl in Vaughan’s situation would I agree to this sham?! I think for the majority of teen girls they would take on

When It's Real is the latest novel by the sensational author duo, Erin Watt. I'm a huge fan of their Royals series, so there was no question as to whether or not I would be reading this. I can't even imagine them writing a bad book at this point, and for that reason, I went into this with the expectation that I was going to enjoy the hell out of it. I wasn't wrong. Vaughn Bennett recently graduated high school, but with no clear idea of what she wants to do with her life, she decides to take a y...

2.5 stars When It’s Real is the story of a girl named Vaughn who is hand picked to be the new girlfriend of Oakley Ford, a famous pop star. Oakley needs to polish up his public image, showing he can be a devoted boyfriend and not just the playboy partier everyone thinks he is. Vaughn agrees to do this because her family needs the money, her parents passed away leaving her and her sister in charge of their siblings. At first, Vaughn and Oakley cannot stand each other. She thinks he’s rude and h

“This is as real and as awful and as wonderful as it gets. I’d hold her forever if she’d let me.”