Reviews

For Real by Alexis Hall

s4r1's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

rellimreads's review against another edition

5.0

May/December M/M BDSM romance. I found the characters to be so REAL. There was angst, but not this whiney back & forth contrived angst. Laurie (37) and Toby (19) are navigating their own lives as well as this new relationship. It’s hard to describe the awesomeness without spoilers, but I found myself so invested in their HEA.

2019 Update: I read this a few years ago and absolutely loved it. So when I saw that Audible had the audiobook for $1.99 since I owned the ebook ~ I grabbed it. I love the dual narrators. Both do a phenomenal job and I can’t believe that they were able to make me love this book even more.

desireealexis's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

I adored this book. I started reading two nights ago just to take breather from my current reads but I became obsessed. I am so enthralled by their relationship dynamics and even the characters themselves. It was really nice to see the inner thoughts of the bdsm scenes; how it made them feel to do things that were “unnatural” but so obviously right and good for them. 

This just became one of my favorite books and I cannot wait for the rerelease this summer. The only reason it’s not a five star rating is some minor grammar mistakes spread throughout the book but even then, the intensity of the book itself always prevailed in those moments.

bitchie's review against another edition

5.0

This was amazing and sweet and sad and sexy, all at once. I always love when an author switches PoVs, and really makes me see BOTH guys as unique individuals, and not the same exact voice. I loved how Laurie is posh and experienced, even while being insecure and lonely, and how Toby is, in so many ways, a typical 19 year old. Even his thoughts are rambly and young and all over the place. I don't pretend to understand the whole BDSM thing, why you'd need to submit your everything to someone else, but I do love it when an author can make me at least kind of get it. I never got why Laurie and Toby wanted or needed what they did, but I got that it was a real thing for them, and that's ok, for him and people like him and Toby. Sometimes, I feel like I haven't loved enough, or in the right ways, because I've never had that feeling of "anything you want me to do" for another person, I just don't get it, but I loved seeing it here.

evethingiread's review

5.0

Been wanting to read this for a while, it’s always so highly recommended but it’s so hard for me to skip books in a series. And every time I tried reading book 1, I put it down. Finally decided to dnf and pick up this book. Thank god I did. This book is magnificent. The way I couldn’t put it away, how captivating the story and the characters are. How perfectly imperfect and real and silly and awkward. It shouldn’t work but it works.
Some books just have that feel, the air of something special. I couldn’t put this book down the entire time!

I adore Toby and Laurie is so freaking sweet and broken. They really fit!

nathanae88's review against another edition

Already read it before and I thought this ARC included the new Novella, which it didn't will give this another go once the book is rereleased with the Novella

schnarah's review

5.0

It actually blew me away. Never would I have expected such a funny, complicated love story under a kinky wrapper.

sage3's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

2.5

Wasn’t my favorite 
Didn’t love their dynamic
Or them
Or the plot
Just wasn’t for me
Idk

oatboat23's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny inspiring sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

literary_heather's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Ah this was sweet. Both characters have insecurities they have to work through, both as individuals and as a couple, but the dynamic was really nice. Super spicy scenes were delightful.