Blog Tour: Is This For Real? by Kathy Strobos

Title: Is This for Real?

Genre: Romantic Comedy

My Rating: 5 out of 5

Synopsis

Love is all fun and games until somebody gets hurt. Usually me. I admit it, I’m a relationship-recluse. Ironic, given that I write romantic comedies. So, I’m on a sabbatical from dating.

This is why fake dating my best friend Rory is fool-proof. Rory suggested it because he needed a date for work functions. And I can use our experiences as fodder for my rom-com novel. Plus, my sister doesn’t know it’s not real and she is thrilled that I’m not walling myself off emotionally. Her words, not mine. But I do wish she would stop saying that she always suspected there was something more between me and Rory. She should realize that we’ve been friends forever so I’m immune to his appeal.

We would never work. Rory is such a romantic; he still believes in that perfect love similar to his parents’ marriage. My parents fought bitterly. So, we are better off as friends. I can’t risk losing our friendship, even if this might be my chance—before his ex-girlfriend wins him back.

Those flickers of attraction? Easily extinguished by cold water reality—like a two-mile hike in drenching rain over sand with wheelie luggage.

But our relationship is not sticking to the plot—or is it?

My Review

Having already read and really enjoyed Partner Pursuit, I was really hoping I was going to love Is This For Real? just as much – and I definitely did! We are introduced to the main character, Penelope – she has given herself 2 years to get her career as a romance writer up and running, but she finds herself in a position where her ideas are constantly rejected by agents and publishers due to the lack of romance and emotions in her romantic stories!

You see, Penelope herself struggles with her emotions after both her parents were killed when she was in college. Losing both parents so young completely changed her life and the person that she became. So, when her best friend, Rory suggests ‘fake-dating’ to help Penelope understand romance a bit more to help her with her novel storyline, she has her doubts.

I loved seeing the journey between Penelope and Rory from ‘fake-dating’ to developing something a lot more real and romantic. But can Penelope risk her friendship with Rory and give in to her feelings?

Is This for Real? is a feel-good read about two friends whose friendship develops into something so much more – this really is such a sweet romantic read.

Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources for providing the materials for this post and organising the Blog tour. Be sure to check out the other blogs that participated in this Blog Tour.