I've read other books by Melissa Foster but I must say that the new Sugar Lake series has me wanting more! The story of Zane and Willow felt so real and I found myself getting lost in the story.

Love love LOVE Melissa Fosters books and this is again another one that did not disappoint. Such a great read. Grabbed you from the beginning and could not put it down until you knew how it ends. Amazing

I love all of Melissa's books. She's got a great writing style.

This is my first book by this author, and overall I’m pretty impressed. The characters were all great, and I liked the dual POV quite a bit in this one. The voices have to be distinct, otherwise multiple POV really irks me. But it was nice that we got to see inside both of their minds, giving us a glance at where they were at mentally and emotionally. Thank you Netgalley for providing me a copy in exchange for a honest review. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars.
 
It was a little slow sometimes, but then the romantic parts would kick into high gear and I was hooked again. And let me tell you, there was quite a bit of romance…and sex. I haven’t read a ton of second chance romances (send me your recs!), but I really love the trope. Plus the small town vibe is usually adorable in books, and this one was no exception. Small towns are not so cute in real life. At least not the ones I’ve lived in.
 
Zane is total book boyfriend material. Where can I find a guy like him? *sighs* He was so caring, thoughtful, etc. I’m not going to tell you all about the things, but he does a lot for Willow. I absolutely adored Willow for the most part, and her family is definitely up there in my favorites. There were so many cute moments, which I don’t want to share, because it would spoil the fun.
 
It’s a pretty short book (less than 300 pages), so if you like second chance romance, sweet treats, and super cuteness overload, read this ASAP. I can’t wait to read more from this author. I’m off to check when book two of this series comes out, and what it’s all about.

4.5 stars - Holy hotness! This was a steamy book that will have you requesting dessert! This book had a little more heat than I typically read, which you can skim and get the gist of the story. I enjoy reading stories about rekindling a past love and relationship. An enticing read for the beach that may leave you hotter than the sun!

Sometimes you just know that a book isn't going to be for you once you start reading it.  While I used to force myself to finish a book once I started it, this year I have stopped that practice.  With the state of the world today, I think all of us needs to allow ourselves to find enjoyment where we can.   No one book is for everyone, so if it's not for me that's ok.

I love the fake girlfriend, fiance, wife trope in romance.  Watching a couple who is faking a relationship fall for each other gradually in the midst of their efforts to con someone else rarely fails to delight me.  At least one of the characters is so sure that relationships aren't for them that it's entertaining to watch their life be turned upside down when they figure out they fell for someone when they weren't paying attention.

As excited as I was for a new fake relationship story, I knew very early on that The Real Thing wasn't going to be for me.  I found Zane's actions to get Willow to help him improve his image, regardless of whether she wanted to or not, to be extremely selfish and aggressive.  Why wouldn't he call her and ask for her help as opposed to tricking her into believing she had a catering job for her bakery and ambushing her?   The fact he went so far as to have a moment between them captured by a photographer before even giving her a chance to agree made me want to punch him in the face. And telling someone they owe you for you agreeing to take their virginity years ago just made him a douche in my book.  By the beginning of chapter 4 I knew that I wasn't going to connect with this storyline because as far as I was concerned, Zane needed to fall off the face of the earth.

On top of Zane being a jerk, I struggled with some of Willow's dialog when it came to other women.  I get that Zane is supposed to be a movie star player, but referring to what would happen when he was in town as a "Zane Hotter-Than-Hell Walker slutfest" was kind of gross.  It implies the women are the problem when Willow's real issue was with Zane's behavior.

I am sure that both characters evolve throughout the book and we get to see more than the surface level interactions that I experienced to understand them better and that there will be plenty of readers who love this book.  It just wasn't my cup of tea.

Really had a hard time trying to read and follow this book. This was my first book by this author. I hate I couldn’t get into this book. :( :(

This second chance romance was so much fun to read. It was Laugh out Loud fun, sweetly sexy, emotionally thrilling and filled with all the warm fuzzy small town family bounds you could crave.

Zane Walker is sexy, sweet, charming and a small town boy at the peck of his acting career. He just needs the help of the one woman he has ever loved to clean up his racy reputation. Willow Dalton grew up with Zane and has loved him forever. Question is can she help her best friend clean up his reputation with out losing her heart again? Loved every heart pounding twist and turn. Looking forward to more visits to Sugar Lake.

seriously addicting!
From beginning to end reading Willow and Zane fight through their own insecurities to realizing what they've known all along was just a sweet and delicious read!
I wanted to take my time but this was truly too good of a read to let it go and I can't wait to read about Bridgette!

The Real Thing is such a sweet, sexy friends-to-lovers, second chance romance. I awwwwed and oooohed and swooned the whole way through. Well, except in the beginning when Zane came across as a bit cavalier and kinda douchey. Have no fear though, he redeems himself in quick order and comes out looking like the sweet, sexy, ROMANTIC guy he actually is.

Willow and Zane have been friends for years. They grew up together in the small town of Sweetwater. He's her brother's best friend, and the man she gave her v-card to before she left for college, because he was the only guy she could trust that would follow her stupid rules about no feelings, no staying in touch, blah, blah, blah. But despite themselves, they stayed friends and kept in touch over the years, mainly through zany texts where he'd beg her to come over and hang out and she'd put him off with some ridiculous excuse. Now that he's an A-list actor, she has no time for the now dirty playboy, but when she arrives at a potential job site (she runs her own bakery now), and he ambushes her with a plea for help, what's a friend to do? Of course she agrees to help him clean up his image so he can land the role of a romantic hero. So they start a fake relationship, fake engagement, to be precise, regardless of whether or not it might expose Willow to the ridiculous paparazzi and just might make their dormant feelings for each other come to life.

I really like The Real Thing. Melissa Foster navigates classic tropes like an expert - fake relationship, friends-to-lovers, second chance, brother's best friend, small town, oh so many classic tropes, but executed so well. Willow and Zane are both adorable, sweet, well-rounded, likable characters with sexy chemistry all backed up gorgeously by their strong friendship that was just masking the romantic, lusty feelings they'd had for each other all those years.

This Sweetwater world that Melissa Foster has created is an interesting, sweet, sexy one that I can't wait to explore further.

This was such a sweet read! Great characters, one of my favorite tropes, and a fun storyline made this a quite enjoyable read. In true Melissa Foster style, The Real Thing is both sassy and sweet!

Here’s the breakdown: Willow and Zane grew up together in a small town. They practically grew up together. Once Zane leaves town to pursue his dream of acting, their relationship changes. They change, but remain in contact. When the Zane needs helps cleaning up his movie star man-whore reputation, he calls on the one person he knows will agree to help him…Willow.

What I enjoyed: I’m a sucker for friends to lovers and fake fiancé romances. When the reader knows the couple has the hots for one another even if they try to avoid acting on those impulses, it’s like the best tease EVER. The main characters are also great. They grew up with one another and share a special history. Because of that, it was really easy to root for their love affair. Their chemistry was off the charts. Zane is a bit cocky and Willow is as sassy as they come. I’m a sucker for both!

Overall, this was a super fun read! I recommend it to romance lovers who favor, fake relationships, friends to lovers, and brother’s best friends tropes.

The Real Thing is the first book in a new series by Melissa Foster. This time I won't bother you by telling you how much I loved the secondary characters because this is getting old pretty fast. I feel like I am always repeating myself when it comes to Foster's books because I love them for the same reason. They are like different cakes, but with the same basic recipe. The author is able to keep the good elements in each book she writes, but each character and situation is different. This is why I love reading a book by Melissa Foster. I always know I will enjoy her books. I enjoyed The real thing. I was a little annoyed at Willow because she made it seem like Zane was the bad guy from all those years ago, while that wasn't the case. She is the one who moved on so quickly after their night together and I am not mad at Zane for acting like a man whore even though he loved Willow. Both of them moved on.

I also didn't mind the deception on Zane's part because he was trying to be with the woman he loved. There is one thing that pops into my mind vividly every time I think of his and Willow's fake engagement which makes me like him a little more. I would have liked to see him picking out the ring himself though. Overall the book was good and I had a good time reading it. I am looking forward towards reading Bridgette's book.

Love this fun friends to lovers story with an engagement of convenience storyline!

Thanks to netgallery for this Arc here's my honest opinion.

so this is my first book by Melissa Fosters. I really enjoyed it. I thought it was funny. It was it kept me turning the pages. Once I started I read it straight through. I really enjoyed this book both of the MCs I liked (which is rare for me) I also liked the way Miss Foster writing style. I will definitely checking out more from her and I look forward to the next book in the series.

Sexy Zane Walker is no match for his life-long friend Willow Dalton or is he? Sweet and sassy Willow doesn’t put up with much and has spent years keeping her emotions in check, but can Zane breakdown both their walls and find a happy ever after that was always meant to be?

Melissa Foster gives us a whole new world in Sweetwater with a long list of characters that I’m sure will all eventually get their own happily ever afters, but Zane and Willow will hold a special place in my heart because they have to work to get theirs.

Secrets and lies, lust and laughs, family and friendships all come together in The Sweetest Thing and Melissa Foster brings us on another fantastic romantic journey. I love how Willow is so down to earth and isn’t afraid to put Zane in his place and Zane has to work a bit to find his way back into Willow’s world.

Hot and steamy meets friends to lovers in this newest release and I can’t wait to hear what you think! The writing keeps you turning the pages while the characters keep your heart reaching for more. You won’t be disappointed.

4.5 Stars

Steaminess: 4 Stars
Zane as a BBF: 4 Stars

Wonderfully sweet second chance romance. Swoony and sexy all at once. Cannot wait for the next in the series. 4/5 stars

I absolutely loved “The Real Thing” by Melissa Foster, a second chance romance and the start to her new Sugar Lake series. It’s a fun, flirty and sweet romance about Willow, a baker, and Zack, a Hollywood action star trying to become a leading man. The studio needs him to clean up his bad boy reputation so Zack convinces Willow to help him out by pretending to be his fiancé for a few weeks. Before long pretend becomes reality and past misunderstandings and hurt feelings are put to rest in a satisfying conclusion. Looking forward to reading more of the series!

Zane Walker is a notorious bad boy who has been told he has to clean up his act. So his first thought it to fake propose to his best friend and girl whose virginity he took.

Zane's always been in love with Willow, and I loved how apparent that was from the first pages. Zane did come across as a bit egotistical, but he really just cared about Willow and what she wanted.

Willow owns a bakery and is kind of stuck in her way about how she thinks things are supposed to be. When she asked Zane to take her virginity she made up all these rules and then got mad when he followed them. I kind of got annoyed at Willow more often than not, but she made Zane happy and eventually pulled her head from her butt so everything worked out.

I did feel like at times the drama seemed a little forced to add tension to the story, but otherwise, The Real Thing was a pretty solid book. I guess another downside to this story was how the story seemed so classic. Like many people have read this story before, a million and one times over.

If you're looking for a cute story about how young love emerged into something greater this is the book for you. Not overly original, but cute with decent characters.