This book was a bit I have to admit disappointing. I had high hopes but it felt a bit flat, hence not being able to finish it, Thanks for the opportunity.

The Real Thing is book one in the brand new series, Sugar Lake, by Melissa Foster. This is my first book by Melissa and I wasn’t sure what to expect. Would her book be sugary sweet, or have some heat? Would there be humor? The answer to all of these questions is YES!

Willow Dalton grew up in the small town of Sweetwater and loved it there. She was very close to her three sisters, her brother and parents. Willow loved to bake and owned her own bakery, Sweetie Pie Bakery. The only thing missing was a man to love. Willow dated but no one ever measured up to the one man that had always had her heart, Zane Walker.

Willow has known Zane all her life. He was her older brother’s best friend and like a part of her family. When she was young she always had a crush on him. Just before she left for college, it was Zane she asked for the biggest favor of her life, to take her virginity. But that secret night by the lake was so much more than it was meant to be. It was the night she fell in love.

But Zane’s life was not in Sweetwater. He couldn’t leave town fast enough when he was old enough. He was now an A-list actor in Los Angeles. He was known for his action films and his playboy lifestyle. But now he wanted to break in to romantic comedy and needed to clean up his reputation. What better way than to come up with a squeaky clean, sweet, small town fiance. Zane would only consider asking one woman to play this role, and that was Willow.

As Zane and Willow prepared for their role, though, memories were unburied and feelings were finally faced. There was a reason neither Zane nor Willow had ever been able to find someone they were interested in. Because no one could ever measure up to the one person they always yearned for.

“She was his every fantasy come true, only better. Because she was Willow, and she was finally his.”

Once Zane finally realized that Willow was the one, was his one and only, this man was seriously swoony. At first, I wasn’t sure how I felt about him, asking Willow to play such a role. But when he owned up to his feelings, nothing was going to stop him from proving to Willow that he was the man for her, that he was her man.

“Every day we’re together will be more perfect than the last, because every day I’m learning how to be a better man for you.”

But Willow’s life was in Sweetwater, and Zane’s life was in Los Angeles. His life was crazy filled with paparazzi and fans and autographs. Her life was quiet filled with sugar and cupcakes and frosting. But once Zane spent time with her in her little apartment above her bakery, she couldn’t imagine her life without him in it.

“Five minutes would never be enough. A week would never be enough. Loving Zane Walker would take a lifetime. And then some.”

This was such a sweet book. I fell in love with Zane and Willow. And there was some serious sexy times as well, which is a good thing. Zane and Willow had no problem with chemistry and Zane most definitely brought out Willow’s inner seductress.

This was such a sweet start to this series (pun intended) and I look forward to more. The next book will be about Willow’s sister, Bridgette in Only For You.

“Willow was his. Willow was home.”

4.5☆
Melissa Foster is one of my go-to authors.

What I liked:
The writing style
The characters
The humor
Part of a series: Sugar Lake
Standalone
HEA

I look forward to reading more from Melissa.

Give me Zane on a platter with a side of Ben. IJS... Holly hotness on the wooing and making Willow a believer. I don't think I swooned that much while reading a book.

Thank you Melissa for making this second chance live story into a will of past versus present. Doubt versus reality and growth. I welcome the knowledge of how they knew they would be there for each other in a time of need. Also how Zane put her first in shielding the negative and lime lights from Willow. A Man of honor and truths after a little coherencing and half truths.

The real thing
By: Melissa Foster
📚💕⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💕📚

So many sweet surprises

Small town girl and the Hollywood heart throb....its been done.....Right? Nah not like this. I will say this you might want to strangle our leading man Zane at the beginning but he just might be the sweetest surprise. Zane and Willow grew up in the same small town. Zane two years older than her and her brothers best friend was always around. Spending more time as part of Willows family than his own they've always been close. Giving Zane her innocence before she heads to college was her choice and she made the rules. Zane never being able to say no to Willow went with it when she asked.

This is wrre things change. Even though they have stayed in each other's lives things have never been the same.

Getting ready to shoot his latest movie and told by the production company to clean up his act Zane ask Willow to be his fiancé. When truths and feelings get involved will these two finally open their hearts or will fears and outside jealousy get in the way.

I really enjoyed this book and it kept me engrossed throughout. I really loved the characters and the way they interacted with each other. This is a fun, hot, romantic must read book and I would definitely recommend this book to anyone.

This book has everything I love in a book. Then you add that it's beautifully written and believable. It is easily a five star read. Written in dual POV my personal favorite this story flows so incredibly well that the next thing you know your 80% into the book and loving every second of it. The believable way the characters interact is perfect. Run, Hop, Jump or use your (1 click) finger to do whatever you have to do and get this amazing book. It'll break your heart, you'll want to scream with frustration and it'll let you discover that love just might conquer all. The chemistry is steamy and sweet and oh so romantic.

Thanks you Netgally for letting me read and review.

The Real Thing is a book that allows you to escape reality for a few hours, a book that pulls you in so quickly and refuses to let go.
Willow and Zane's love runs so deep that even with misunderstandings the struggle to fight the attraction is strong.

Melissa has crafted a story that will take you away from reality wrap you up in soft, warm blanket and melt your heart. A book filled with moments of sweetness, spice and a story line that flows effortlessly make The Real Thing a 4 star read.

Zane and Willow are best friends who are secretly in love with each other. Zane needs Willow to pretend to be his fiancee to convince his backers of his new film that he can indeed switch from being an action hero to a romantic hero. Cue his best friend Willow, who is reluctant at first, but as it benefits her also she agrees. This story has a feel good vibe and is about the discovery of who they really are.
I loved this story as it was happy, uplifting but still had some very serious parts too. Recommended to all romance readers.

The Real Thing is a lovely romance with sparkling dialogue, some pretty 'hot' scenes and very little angst just a great developing relationship.
For years Willow has been friends with Zane, he was her brothers best friend but is now a top Hollywood star with a reputation as a total player. They had made love when willow was 18 so she was prepared before she went to college, I know sounds odd but in this story it so works. She has been in love with him forever and it broke her heart when he just appeared to want to be best buddies with her, but Zane has always loved her but didn't think he was good enough for her.
So begins his declaration of love and total wooing of willow, prepared to show her she can rely on him, Willow is unsure, especially how she would cope with the heartbreak if he lets her down again.
Take the journey with them, it's beautiful and flows along at an enjoyable pace.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for opportunity to review this book honestly.

The book was sweet all over, beginning through end and it had actually nothing to do with Willow's sweets.
I quickly fell in love with Zane and Willow, they were the cutest together and the love they shared was so strong, it was beautiful to read. Their journey was an amazing one, even with those 10 years spent with their feelings towards one another and that night buried. That time 'apart' made the way they came together again even more perfect, it was a true joy to read. It was just really so sweet, I was swooning throughout almost the whole book with how cheesy and dreamy Zane was with Willow.

I had heard such good things about Melissa Foster but my first exposure to her writing was reading Read, Write, Love at Seaside under her other pen name, Addison Cole. It really didn’t grab me and I ended up putting it aside without finishing. So I was a little leery of jumping in again but this book sounded so cute I couldn’t resist. I’m glad I didn’t because this was such an enjoyable read.
I loved Zane so hard! He is nothing like what you would expect from one of the hottest actors in Hollywood. He is so sweet and I loved that he’s adored Willow since she was an awkward teen. Seeing him trying to win her over and convince her about his feelings made me fall in love with him. Once Willow stopped getting in the way of her own happiness I really came to enjoy her character as well. There were several side characters whom I also fell for and cannot wait to read their stories as well.
If you haven’t read Melissa Foster before I highly recommend this book. The Real Thing was a refreshing, thoroughly enjoyable read and readers will fall in love with Zane!

I absolutely adore Melissa Foster books and her writing style. The Real Thing is everything I thought it would be and more. Its a sweet, sassy and sexy friends to lovers/brothers best friend/second chance romance. Willow and Zane love them. They are one of my favorite characters from all of Melissa Fosters books. Timing is everything and with Zane and Willow they finally got it right. I defiantly swooned for Zane. Like where is a Zane in real life. Willow is so full of life and sassy and I want to best friends with that girl. Willows whole family is wonderful. I'm so looking forward to being able to get to know the characters more in future books to come. I loved this book and didn't want to put it down.

I adore this new series by Melissa Foster! As usual she is on point with her master story-telling and extremely lovable characters. She sure has a knack for writing some of the most lovable heroines I’ve ever read and Willow is one such heroine. She is sweet, sassy, funny, generous, loyal and so very real.
She owns a bakery in her small hometown of Sweetwater and is definitely everyone's favorite hometown girl because she is just so adorable, sweet, genuine and kind.
Zane is an amazing man. He may be an A-list action hero movie star who is gorgeous and sexy but he is so sweet, down to earth and lovable and deep down is still that boy Willow fell in love with all those years ago. He goes through great lengths to find what has been missing from his life and make things happen. He was Willow’s first everything, but he left Sweetwater to pursue an acting career and is now a very successful Hollywood actor. Needing to clean his reputation as a player up, he enlists Willow who has remained a good friend over the years to be his fake fiancée. She finally agrees and soon finds out that what was supposed to be fake is a very real thing for both of them. he wants to be her last everything.
I loved watching everything unfold and come together for Zane and Willow. There were so many sweet and magical moments. So many moments that made me swoon and just feel everything a romance should make you feel.
This story is so well written with equal parts of sweet and sexy. One of my favorite couples from Melissa to date for sure!! Now I can't wait to see what is in store for Willow’s siblings and how they will get their HEAs as this new series continues. 5 Hollywood Blvd Stars!!!

I loved this! Fun, flirty and sexy. This was such fun to read! The storyline might be something that's been done before, the fake fiancee, but it was so good. The hero and heroine are so great together. Their chemistry is off the charts! Couldn't put it down. I love this author and I can't wait for more!

Willow has always longed for her older brother's best friend, Zane. They had a night together back before Willow left for college, but their relationship went no further. It left Willow with feelings of anger and resentment toward Zane -- especially when he became a womanizing famous actor. Now, Zane's back in town and looking to change his image. He needs Willow to help him do that by pretending to be his fiancée. The arrangement is something Willow should know better than to say yes to, but she still can't resist Zane.

The Real Thing was a fun fake fiancée romance. It's been a long time since I read a book by Melissa Foster. I had forgotten how much I enjoy her writing. She's an author who knows how to write third person point of view. A lot of the time, it takes me a while to be able to get into third person narration. It wasn't that way with The Real Thing. I didn't even notice it. Third person felt just as easy as reading first person in this book. I really appreciated that. I also appreciated that both Willow and Zane's perspectives were included.

Willow and Zane were a cute couple. She was independent, loyal and fiery. He was overconfident, but deep down had a big heart. All of those things fit really well and complimented each other. I loved that they had been pining over each other since high school. It made their love story all the sweeter.

I do have to admit there was something that bugged me about this book that I couldn't let go. Willow's hatred and distrust of Zane didn't make complete sense. I understand that she's mad that he moved on, but she set things up that way. He truly didn't do anything that set out to hurt her or break her heart. Plus, it had been like ten years and she was still holding onto to her anger. It seemed weird since she had been in contact with him at least monthly and had seen him several times over the years. Maybe I was missing something. Maybe I needed more than just a snapshot of the aftermath of their teenage decision.

One of my favorite things about this book was the cast of secondary characters. Willow had an amazing family. Each was an individual with a strong personality. Meeting them made me very excited for what's to come in this series. I hope they all get their own books. I'm really hoping to see more of Ben and Amelia!

Overall, The Real Thing was a sweet contemporary read, and an entertaining take of a celebrity fake relationship.

The Real Thing was a cute, sweet, and sexy read. Zane has come back to town to ask a favor of his long time friend Willow. While they are pretending, will it become real? These two were absolutely perfect together and I loved the true deep connection they have. The banter between them is hilarious and kept me turning the pages to see what they would say next. I truly enjoyed this book and can't wait for the next one.

I love to read romance books and this one was amazing. The relationship between the sisters in this book was nothing sort of emotional and awesome. The author did an amazing job describing the individuality of each sisters and explaining why they are the way they are, and how close and important each sister was . The connection between Willow and Zane was magical and then showing how he connects to her family was so important to this series. I cannot wait to read the next book in the Sugar Lake series and find out what happens next to the family. Thank you NetGalley and Melissa Foster for allowing me to read and give an honest review of this book.

Willow owns a bakery and gets a job offer from a resort. She shows up but it's be all a lie. Zane, Hollywood actor and long time friend, is the one who made up the job. He wants her to pretend to be his fiancée for two weeks while he's filming in their hometown. But they have to keep it from her family. Willow has loved Zane for years but he left her after taking her virginity and headed to Hollywood. Now he'll do anything to win her heart.
Lots of sex. Funny. Beautiful baker and hot actor. Secrets. Family. I know this is short but it's a great story and I didn't want to give too much away.

Remember that first time? The hopes, the dreams, the feelings! Remember how long that mood stayed with you? Willow Dalton tried to control it. She asked her friend Zane Walker to be her "first" & then forget about it. No special feelings involved, just one night. She screwed up though. She fell for him. He stopped texting and her heart was crushed. In every encounter after then, she's guarded her heart by being sassy & snarky towards him. Now he wants her to be his pretend fiancée to clean up his image. Can she keep herself safe through that? Can she keep up a lie to her family for that long?

Zane Walker is now a Hollywood leading man but he never forgot Willow. A perfect situation to reconnect with her dropped in his lap. A focus group said he needed to clean up his image & date someone nice. Zane took it a step further thinking that if he could get Willow to open up, he could express his feelings. He's been in love with her since that night years ago. His life feels empty. He has everything he's dreamed of except her. Can he get Willow to ignore his image as a playboy? Will she fall in love with him?

OMG, I love Zane! So many times, the girl falls in love & the guy wants a one nighter. Not in a book by Melissa Foster! She's flipped it around to Willow wanting the one night stand, Zane in love with her for years & both of them suffering for years. The characters are well defined & the reader is given a good look at the characters for the rest of the series. The Dalton's love to give each other crap but support each other through thick & thin. I loved the interaction between Willow & Remi when they first meet. I am not going to leave spoilers but I had to laugh! I can't wait for the next book! I would recommend this book to all contemporary romance lovers that like their stories with spice & heat. There is some dirty language & sex but that isn't the focus of the story.

Fiery arguments, arrogant jerks and naughty thoughts, do not a relationship make. What happens when the guy of your fantasies needs a favor? A decadent game of hearts. Zane and Willow are a mess. He's the jerk that broke her heart and makes her temperature rise. She's the woman that adds spice to his life and makes his heart rejoice. The Real Thing has all the ingredients to deliver a box office hit. Heat and sweet meet to create a deliciously tasty treat.

Melissa Foster has this way with words. I have never read a bad book by her, and she is one of my top one-click authors, without even reading what the book is about. I just know that no matter what it's about, the book is going to be phenomenal! The Real Thing was absolutely no different. I was sucked in from the beginning and didn't want to stop reading it. I'm unsure exactly how long it took me to get it done, but I do know that I was 30 minutes away from the end (according to the time thing on the bottom of a kindle) and I fell asleep. I could have kicked myself, because while sleeping over night, my kindle died, so I had to wait for it to charge just to be able to finish the book! I fell immediately in love with Willow and Zane ((aww!! That was going to be my daughters name had she been a boy!)) and I enjoyed learning more about what happened between them 10 years prior to the "now" in the story! Their connection was so strong, I just knew they would have their happily ever after! I've read plenty of "fake fiance" or "fake girlfriend" stories, but I've never read one that they had such a back story and such chemistry from when they were younger. I felt like those 10 years apart made their reconnecting just that more sweet and perfect. I was in awe throughout almost the whole book at how in love Zane was with Willow! You don't see many men (or at least I don't) show their soft side like that. Zane reminds me of how Cody is with Jessica in this season of Big Brother (season 19) but Zane has known Willow for longer than just a few weeks, unlike "Jody - Jessica & Cody". Guys, I'm so happy that this isn't going to be the last we read of the people from Sugar Lake!! I can NOT wait for Sugar Lake #2!!!