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A review by elementarymydear
For Real by Alexis Hall
5.0
I’m a simple gal: Alexis Hall has a book coming out (or in this case, being re-released), so of course I do everything I can to get my hands on it!
I went into this book knowing next to nothing about it, and soon realised that this was a lot spicier* than I expected. But does Alexis Hall write just for the spice? Of course not! Because it’s all about character dynamics, and relationship dynamics (of every kind), and how they influence each other, and how the different expectations put on us based on our place in society affect those things. Through the lens of this raunchy romance, he brilliantly explores what happens if we break down the boxes we put ourselves and others in. He challenges our expectations of these characters time and time again, in a way that I think would make any reader look at their own romantic life differently.
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Every time I write a review of one of Hall’s books I feel like I repeat myself, but it’s always true. The main characters were brilliantly flawed, well-rounded, and equal parts lovable and frustrating. I was rooting for them but there were also times I wanted to take them by the shoulders and give them a good talking to. They feel so real and present, and by the end of the first chapter I was fully invested.
As with the other re-releases in this series, there is bonus material including author annotations at the back of the book. I especially enjoyed the annotations; they don’t intrude on the text at all, but they gave a really nice insight into the writing process, and sometimes gave me a chuckle too!
Needless to say, this is another winner from Alexis Hall, and I’m excited to read the final book in the series when it gets its re-release!
I received a free copy from the publisher for an honest review.
*I really don’t like that this has become a popular bookish term but in this context it is very useful shorthand!
I went into this book knowing next to nothing about it, and soon realised that this was a lot spicier* than I expected. But does Alexis Hall write just for the spice? Of course not! Because it’s all about character dynamics, and relationship dynamics (of every kind), and how they influence each other, and how the different expectations put on us based on our place in society affect those things. Through the lens of this raunchy romance, he brilliantly explores what happens if we break down the boxes we put ourselves and others in. He challenges our expectations of these characters time and time again, in a way that I think would make any reader look at their own romantic life differently.
📚Blog📖YouTube📖Instagram📚
Every time I write a review of one of Hall’s books I feel like I repeat myself, but it’s always true. The main characters were brilliantly flawed, well-rounded, and equal parts lovable and frustrating. I was rooting for them but there were also times I wanted to take them by the shoulders and give them a good talking to. They feel so real and present, and by the end of the first chapter I was fully invested.
As with the other re-releases in this series, there is bonus material including author annotations at the back of the book. I especially enjoyed the annotations; they don’t intrude on the text at all, but they gave a really nice insight into the writing process, and sometimes gave me a chuckle too!
Needless to say, this is another winner from Alexis Hall, and I’m excited to read the final book in the series when it gets its re-release!
I received a free copy from the publisher for an honest review.
*I really don’t like that this has become a popular bookish term but in this context it is very useful shorthand!