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leireiglesias's review against another edition
3.0
Me ha gustado mucho, es un libro que viene increíble para leerlo en una tarde de verano. Si os gusto en su dia la pelicula Starstruck de disney este libro os va a encantar
becgynes's review against another edition
4.0
Accidentally read this in a day because it was addictive ...
calcicuivre's review against another edition
1.0
What a disappointment. What was supposed to be a fun summer contemporary turned out to be a complete mess.
The story is very simple. Vaughn, our main character, is hired to be the fake girlfriend of popstar extraordinaire, Oakley Ford (or, as I Like to affectionately call him, Entitled Douchebag) in order to clean up his bad boy image. It's basically a variation of the fake girlfriend/boyfriend trope. Nothing original by any means, but this should have kept me entertained for the two days I spent reading this ( two days that I will never get back, unfortunately)
1) The plot was very underdevelopped. I felt like I was wading in a series of dull dates and awkward banter that was trying too hard (more on that later). I felt no inclination to continue reading and I had to push myself to finish. The climax was so predictable and unremarkable that I was honestly surprised that what I had read had been the ultimate problem. But the plot, however dull and unoriginal as it was, was not what made me ultimately hate the book.
2) The awkward and sometimes forced dialogue and interactions between our two MCs were laughable and oftentimes cringeworthy.
“Baby?” I scoff.
He leans forward, threading his surprisingly elegant fingers together. “Don’t like that one? Pick another, then. You’re my girlfriend,” he reminds me mockingly.
“So you’re into infants?”
“What?” He rears back. “No. Fine. How about—” he pretends to think and then snaps his fingers “—old lady?”
“Great.” I give him my fakest smile. “I’ll call you…dick cheese.”
Was this supposed to be coherent? Was this supposed to make me laugh? Because it did, but probably not for the reason that the author's intended. It honestly made me wonder if I had mistakenly started reading the uncorrected proof of the book, which obviously isn't a good sign, especially as it was one of the first interactions we see between the couple. It definitely sets the tone for the rest of the book, and I just couldn't take their "banter"(if you can even call it that) seriously after that. It felt contrived and way too forced for my liking.
3)As for our main character, Vaughn, I could not care less if a bus rammed into her and instantly killed her. For me to at least partially enjoy a book, I need to somewhat connect to our main character. It usually is preferable if they have a personality, which Vaughn did not have. She has the oh so tragic backstory of being an orphan, and I could not care less. We are only told that her parents have died, and we get no insight as to their personalities and their interactions with Vaugh personally. It felt like a plot device in order to get more sympathy for Vaughn and her family and the result was that the parents were severely underdevelopped. How are we supposed to feel sympathy when we get no interaction between these characters? An ant being crushed would have garnered more sympathy from me. Her personal conflict is that she feels stuck in life and doesn't really know what to do with her future, which I actually related to, but the problem is that it never gets resolved. If it does, I must have missed it since by the end I was mostly hate-reading the book at the end. She felt very bland, and the little spine she had when she interacted with Oakley felt very contrived.
4) I could have given this book at least a 2.5 stars rating considering all of these issues, but what really pushed me to the edge was Oakley mothereffin Ford. What do you get when you mix the typical bad boy with mommy and daddy issues? Oakley Ford. Nevermind that he was an asshole. I'vd gotten used to that since I read a lot of YA, and if it had been executed well, I could have even enjoyed his character. But his total disrespect and entitlement made me want to sucker punch him everytime I was in his head. His supposed "change" that came about due to his everlasting (or should I say everLUSTing love for our beloved Vaughn came too late for me to even remotely care about him. After reading things like this:
Where does this chick get off, acting like she's doing me a favor just by sitting in the same conference room as me? I'm Oakley Ford.
And this:
...but Vaughn's a babe in her own way. I'd totally want to tap that ass between classes.
I could not possibly warm up to him, even after his actions as a misunderstood star were "explained". *cue eye rolling here*
All in all, I clearly did not care for this book, though my opinion on it seems to be one of the only negative ones. I hope that others will have better luck with it. I, for myself, was left only with frustration to show for my efforts at finishing this book.
The story is very simple. Vaughn, our main character, is hired to be the fake girlfriend of popstar extraordinaire, Oakley Ford (or, as I Like to affectionately call him, Entitled Douchebag) in order to clean up his bad boy image. It's basically a variation of the fake girlfriend/boyfriend trope. Nothing original by any means, but this should have kept me entertained for the two days I spent reading this ( two days that I will never get back, unfortunately)
1) The plot was very underdevelopped. I felt like I was wading in a series of dull dates and awkward banter that was trying too hard (more on that later). I felt no inclination to continue reading and I had to push myself to finish. The climax was so predictable and unremarkable that I was honestly surprised that what I had read had been the ultimate problem. But the plot, however dull and unoriginal as it was, was not what made me ultimately hate the book.
2) The awkward and sometimes forced dialogue and interactions between our two MCs were laughable and oftentimes cringeworthy.
“Baby?” I scoff.
He leans forward, threading his surprisingly elegant fingers together. “Don’t like that one? Pick another, then. You’re my girlfriend,” he reminds me mockingly.
“So you’re into infants?”
“What?” He rears back. “No. Fine. How about—” he pretends to think and then snaps his fingers “—old lady?”
“Great.” I give him my fakest smile. “I’ll call you…dick cheese.”
Was this supposed to be coherent? Was this supposed to make me laugh? Because it did, but probably not for the reason that the author's intended. It honestly made me wonder if I had mistakenly started reading the uncorrected proof of the book, which obviously isn't a good sign, especially as it was one of the first interactions we see between the couple. It definitely sets the tone for the rest of the book, and I just couldn't take their "banter"(if you can even call it that) seriously after that. It felt contrived and way too forced for my liking.
3)As for our main character, Vaughn, I could not care less if a bus rammed into her and instantly killed her. For me to at least partially enjoy a book, I need to somewhat connect to our main character. It usually is preferable if they have a personality, which Vaughn did not have. She has the oh so tragic backstory of being an orphan, and I could not care less. We are only told that her parents have died, and we get no insight as to their personalities and their interactions with Vaugh personally. It felt like a plot device in order to get more sympathy for Vaughn and her family and the result was that the parents were severely underdevelopped. How are we supposed to feel sympathy when we get no interaction between these characters? An ant being crushed would have garnered more sympathy from me. Her personal conflict is that she feels stuck in life and doesn't really know what to do with her future, which I actually related to, but the problem is that it never gets resolved.
Spoiler
She ends up going on tour with Oakley, but she never mentions what career path she chose4) I could have given this book at least a 2.5 stars rating considering all of these issues, but what really pushed me to the edge was Oakley mothereffin Ford. What do you get when you mix the typical bad boy with mommy and daddy issues? Oakley Ford. Nevermind that he was an asshole. I'vd gotten used to that since I read a lot of YA, and if it had been executed well, I could have even enjoyed his character. But his total disrespect and entitlement made me want to sucker punch him everytime I was in his head. His supposed "change" that came about due to his everlasting (or should I say everLUSTing love for our beloved Vaughn came too late for me to even remotely care about him. After reading things like this:
Where does this chick get off, acting like she's doing me a favor just by sitting in the same conference room as me? I'm Oakley Ford.
And this:
...but Vaughn's a babe in her own way. I'd totally want to tap that ass between classes.
I could not possibly warm up to him, even after his actions as a misunderstood star were "explained". *cue eye rolling here*All in all, I clearly did not care for this book, though my opinion on it seems to be one of the only negative ones. I hope that others will have better luck with it. I, for myself, was left only with frustration to show for my efforts at finishing this book.
sarahluvsromance_1201's review against another edition
4.0
***AVAILABLE NOW - FULL REVIEW***
4 I Want Real CROWNS
Erin Watt has nailed another mature YA romance! It has the heart and the angst that goes with teen love, but still has that maturity in an authentic way.
Oakley longs for real. In a world riddled with people looking to get something from him, he feels alone and isolated. Only when he pays for a girlfriend, does he find something real, and in this real relationship, readers get to see the real Oak shine through! They see the boy who has grown up in the spotlight and longs to be loved, to be valued for more than what he can do for another person and to be seen for who he is behind the public persona. The reason for the evolution of his character is the introduction of Vaughn. She has the weight of the world on her shoulders, which has resulted in her life being stagnant. Oak, however, gets her thinking and moving forward, asking her to consider what she wants, what are her passions, and what would make her happy. Through their relationship, she becomes braver and lives life harder and fuller.
Because this is a YA novel, it is low on the physical intimacy aspect, but Erin Watt delivers the emotional connection. The banter and "hate" when they meet develops their chemistry, and as the two begin to make themselves emotionally vulnerable to each other, the chemistry only begins to smolder. This is a physical pay-off, but it is low-steam and happens latter in the book, but yet again it is YA, and it completely fits the tone of the novel and the character development of Oak and Vaughn.
The plot of When It's Real is well paced. Readers will not feel rushed or like the story is dragging. The story flows naturally in a way that allows readers to like the characters, fall in love them as they fall in love with each other, and root for them to get that HEA. Readers will also like the conflict. It wasn't what I expected, but I liked it. And while I enjoyed the final chapter, hello swoon-factor, I wish the epilogue would have been a little bit more. I like the updates and the information readers are given, but it wasn't enough for me (I guess that is a sign of loving the characters).
I've been in love with Erin Watt since the Royals, and I don't see my love affair ending. Not a general lover of YA, these two write Young Adult novels that captivate me. Their characters hold the attributes of teens, but are written in a way that makes them relatable, and their stories, while angsty, ring true for the teen world. I absolutely love it, and will surely read anything the publish.
------------------
ARC received in exchange for an honest review.
For more reviews and other book news, check out Musings of the Modern Belle at www.modernbellebooks.com.
4 I Want Real CROWNS
Erin Watt has nailed another mature YA romance! It has the heart and the angst that goes with teen love, but still has that maturity in an authentic way.
Oakley longs for real. In a world riddled with people looking to get something from him, he feels alone and isolated. Only when he pays for a girlfriend, does he find something real, and in this real relationship, readers get to see the real Oak shine through! They see the boy who has grown up in the spotlight and longs to be loved, to be valued for more than what he can do for another person and to be seen for who he is behind the public persona. The reason for the evolution of his character is the introduction of Vaughn. She has the weight of the world on her shoulders, which has resulted in her life being stagnant. Oak, however, gets her thinking and moving forward, asking her to consider what she wants, what are her passions, and what would make her happy. Through their relationship, she becomes braver and lives life harder and fuller.
Because this is a YA novel, it is low on the physical intimacy aspect, but Erin Watt delivers the emotional connection. The banter and "hate" when they meet develops their chemistry, and as the two begin to make themselves emotionally vulnerable to each other, the chemistry only begins to smolder. This is a physical pay-off, but it is low-steam and happens latter in the book, but yet again it is YA, and it completely fits the tone of the novel and the character development of Oak and Vaughn.
The plot of When It's Real is well paced. Readers will not feel rushed or like the story is dragging. The story flows naturally in a way that allows readers to like the characters, fall in love them as they fall in love with each other, and root for them to get that HEA. Readers will also like the conflict. It wasn't what I expected, but I liked it. And while I enjoyed the final chapter, hello swoon-factor, I wish the epilogue would have been a little bit more. I like the updates and the information readers are given, but it wasn't enough for me (I guess that is a sign of loving the characters).
I've been in love with Erin Watt since the Royals, and I don't see my love affair ending. Not a general lover of YA, these two write Young Adult novels that captivate me. Their characters hold the attributes of teens, but are written in a way that makes them relatable, and their stories, while angsty, ring true for the teen world. I absolutely love it, and will surely read anything the publish.
------------------
ARC received in exchange for an honest review.
For more reviews and other book news, check out Musings of the Modern Belle at www.modernbellebooks.com.
jlanmarie's review against another edition
4.0
It feels like watching a 2000s romcom I loved it in fact the nostalgia it comes within the old twitter / instagram the fangirling phase and the drama it was awesome and sweet
mkarisma's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars! Who doesn’t like a HEA and cutesy romance?! Overall I loved it!
readfrenzy's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
I don’t read a lot of Young Adult novels. I feel like there’s just too much unnecessary drama in many of them or they contain problems that seem insignificant to me now. Trust me when I say that I get enough drama every day from my own three teens. So yeah, I’m selective when it comes to YA books. When It’s Real is light on drama and just plain fun.
Oakley is a 19-year-old pop superstar whose career is in jeopardy due to partying and scandals. He needs to clean up his image ASAP, so he hires a squeaky clean, normal girl to pose as his girlfriend. Vaughn is 17 and struggling to support her family financially. She reluctantly accepts the job of playing the humble girlfriend. Of course this book is a complete fantasy, but I enjoy a good fairytale from time to time.
This could easily be a Pretty Woman type of story where the heroine gets swept off her feet with makeovers and a wealthy lifestyle. I love Vaughn’s non-conformist attitude and how she isn’t impressed by Oakley’s fame. In fact, she is snarky and unafraid to show her disdain for him. He isn’t just another disgraced tabloid target. He’s an extremely conceited, selfish jerk, and it’s difficult to feel sorry for him in the beginning.
Vaughn and Oakley’s living situations make the storyline straddle the line between Young Adult and New Adult at times. However, with the social media posts and high school friendships, the story maintains a youthful feel. I really enjoyed how Oakley’s agent and PR person are incorporated into the plot.
When It’s Real is very different from Erin Watt’s Royals series. Don’t expect an angsty, sexy story. There’s an appealing attraction between the couple, but on a PG-13, wholesome level. This enemies to lovers romance has a wonderfully gradual build up that’s satisfying and sweet. It made a nice change of pace for me to read.
Recommended for fans of:
Rock star royalty
Enemies to lovers trope
Fake girlfriends/boyfriends
**ARC received in exchange for an honest review.**
I don’t read a lot of Young Adult novels. I feel like there’s just too much unnecessary drama in many of them or they contain problems that seem insignificant to me now. Trust me when I say that I get enough drama every day from my own three teens. So yeah, I’m selective when it comes to YA books. When It’s Real is light on drama and just plain fun.
Oakley is a 19-year-old pop superstar whose career is in jeopardy due to partying and scandals. He needs to clean up his image ASAP, so he hires a squeaky clean, normal girl to pose as his girlfriend. Vaughn is 17 and struggling to support her family financially. She reluctantly accepts the job of playing the humble girlfriend. Of course this book is a complete fantasy, but I enjoy a good fairytale from time to time.
This could easily be a Pretty Woman type of story where the heroine gets swept off her feet with makeovers and a wealthy lifestyle. I love Vaughn’s non-conformist attitude and how she isn’t impressed by Oakley’s fame. In fact, she is snarky and unafraid to show her disdain for him. He isn’t just another disgraced tabloid target. He’s an extremely conceited, selfish jerk, and it’s difficult to feel sorry for him in the beginning.
Vaughn and Oakley’s living situations make the storyline straddle the line between Young Adult and New Adult at times. However, with the social media posts and high school friendships, the story maintains a youthful feel. I really enjoyed how Oakley’s agent and PR person are incorporated into the plot.
When It’s Real is very different from Erin Watt’s Royals series. Don’t expect an angsty, sexy story. There’s an appealing attraction between the couple, but on a PG-13, wholesome level. This enemies to lovers romance has a wonderfully gradual build up that’s satisfying and sweet. It made a nice change of pace for me to read.
Recommended for fans of:
Rock star royalty
Enemies to lovers trope
Fake girlfriends/boyfriends
**ARC received in exchange for an honest review.**
angeline222222's review against another edition
4.0
Rating: 4.5/5
This story was everything I could've asked for. I felt like it was a fan fiction but with better writing. Erin Watt's writing was incredible and it consumed me. When I actually had time to pick this book up, I couldn't put it down and it was one of those stories that made my heart ache because I felt everything.
The characters were both imperfect but I loved how they showed everyone that they were better for each other and that they were both able to make an impact on each other's lives. One of my favorite things was Vaughn's family. The twins were hilarious and I feel like everyone needs an older sister like Paisley because she was always right.
Oakley definitely became one of my favorite book boyfriends. He was so charming and I knew that even though he had everything he wanted and he had the fame, he was still going through some shit.
I also appreciated how they talked about the idea of dreams. It was an important message that following your dreams for you and not for the people around you is so important and Oakley was an example of that because he didn't stop when his parents wanted him to, he kept going and got to where he was.
I definitely recommend this book for anyone, even if you're not a big fan of romance, there's still some underlying messages behind this book.
This story was everything I could've asked for. I felt like it was a fan fiction but with better writing. Erin Watt's writing was incredible and it consumed me. When I actually had time to pick this book up, I couldn't put it down and it was one of those stories that made my heart ache because I felt everything.
The characters were both imperfect but I loved how they showed everyone that they were better for each other and that they were both able to make an impact on each other's lives. One of my favorite things was Vaughn's family. The twins were hilarious and I feel like everyone needs an older sister like Paisley because she was always right.
Oakley definitely became one of my favorite book boyfriends. He was so charming and I knew that even though he had everything he wanted and he had the fame, he was still going through some shit.
I also appreciated how they talked about the idea of dreams. It was an important message that following your dreams for you and not for the people around you is so important and Oakley was an example of that because he didn't stop when his parents wanted him to, he kept going and got to where he was.
I definitely recommend this book for anyone, even if you're not a big fan of romance, there's still some underlying messages behind this book.