Reviews

For Real by Alexis Hall

gillianw's review against another edition

5.0

I loved this story so much. The relationship between the MC's, Toby and Laurie, is real and raw and heartfelt and you can't help but fall in love with both of them, even when they resist falling in love and truly trusting one another. The relationship never seems unneccesarily angsty, though, which it easily could have been given the subject matter. Because this book is more than a typical love story. It's about two flawed, lonely people throwing aside society's expectations and finding their way towards loving each other and loving themselves. It's just so beautiful.

Sept 2017

I'm listening to this on audiobook (again) and *sigh* it's just as lovely the second time around. I love Alexis Hall's words. He makes BDSM sound like poetry in motion.

emilyexmas's review against another edition

emotional reflective fast-paced

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

4.5

Toby and Laurie get a refresh in this rerelease of For Real. The Spires universe is notable for its great characterisation and introspective takes on romance. This is quite a kinky book, but the expectations that come with being a kinky book are thrown on their head by the mere fact that the dominant in the relationship is so young and inexperienced and ends up needing a lot of emotional support from the older, more experienced sub. Outside of the scenes Laurie very much feels like the dominant personality in the relationship, holding the power that comes with age and life experience, while Toby struggles to come to terms with loss and understanding himself. It's a beautiful love story.. but you'll never see lemon meringue pie the same way again. 

ARC provided by Netgalley.

ninabubblygum's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

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

2.0

not a fan! i didn't understand the hype i've seen for this book, i didn't love the characters, and i was just waiting for it to be over. almost dropped it multiple times but powered through just to be able to say i finished it.

bookstosoothethesoul's review against another edition

emotional inspiring lighthearted

• 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

Oh my gosh I don't have the words to capture how much I love this book!! I've read For Real six times in the last two years because this book has surprising depths to unpack. This was the book that cemented me as an Alexis Hall stan. I am NOT an age gap lover but he managed to make me fall in love with a book that has one of my least favorite tropes. The power dynamic could so easily have felt unbalanced because of the age gap but instead Alexis Hall makes it clear that they both have the power to affect the other. The delicate way he subverts expectations of what a sub/dom have to look like or what masculinity and power mean is so clever and keeps me coming back to this story. Fictional doms are often written as flimsy cardboard cutouts that readers can project their fantasies on but Alexis Hall gives Toby the space to be a complex character with doubts and fears and desires of his own. I adored how both Toby and Laurie were given the room to engage in kink in the way that made sense for who they were (rather than falling into stereotypes or doing things just because that's a common way others do it). For Real is a fantastically steamy, kinky book but at its core there is so much heart and humor grounding the book in who the characters are so that every time there's a sex scene it's driving the story forward (while also being fabulously hot!) Alexis Hall leans into the rawness and vulnerability of being real with someone else and that makes the book incredibly emotional. This is a niche book for sure, but it's specificity is what made it my perfect book. If you love steamy romances that are grounded in emotion then this could be your perfect book as well! 

 

Thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for the ARC of one of my favorite books of all time 🥰 

tonyaf's review against another edition

emotional funny medium-paced

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

4.0

This is fantastic! The characters feel very real and I love the growth they brought about in each other. How much I ended up loving them together really surprised me. This is one of my favorites by Alexis Hall and one of the best in the "Spires" series. It's super spicy and made me cry a little too!

kay1985's review

emotional medium-paced

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

3.75

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

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.