THE REAL by KATE STEWART ~ 6 STARS

“It was his name that wrote itself across by heart; it was his eyes that spoke to my soul.”

Is it possible to love the book even harder the second time around? HELL YES!!!!  Kate Stewart blew it out of the park with this one.  Truly magnificent.  The Real is phenomenal, unique, unforgettable, and well… REAL.

This author continues to blow my mind with every book that comes out.  She is such a versatile and unique writer – you never know what you are going to get.  Lucky for me, I really get her – her words, her thoughts, and her stories cut me deep every time.   Honestly, rating a book is very simple for me.  There are 2 categories: books that are fun, romantic, sexy, and entertaining.  And then there are books that have all that, plus the WOW factor.  Those are the stories that leave a mark, stories that contribute to my life lessons, stories that have deep meaning, pushing the limits and sometimes controversial.  Love it or hate it.  One thing is certain – these authors are phenomenal and Kate Stewart is among them.

“Love by its definition is a lie, its true definition is work and a fuck lot of it.  It also means so much more than that one syllable.  It’s a one-word representation of everything that can make or break a person.  Love is only meant for the brave.”

I was thinking just the other day I was so sad of the lack of romance these days, where people favor instant gratification and sex, especially with the easy access to tinder.com or match.com.  I feel like I am old school and cannot relate to what the younger generation is doing – meet, hook up, and move along.  So, the Real is a breath of fresh air for me – it brings back the simple dates, the wooing, the chasing, the romance.  Abbie and Cameron met at a coffee shop and their relationship started with a Mac airdrop conversation (totally original idea).  They talked.  They got to know each other.  They went on dates, fell in love, and the physical part started later.   Abbie is beautiful, sweet, quirky, and a bit weird (with her obsession in serial killers 😊).  She is honest with a no bullshit attitude, albeit a bit cynical and jaded.  She learned the hard way with a douche bag ex but I am so freaking glad the author made her a strong heroine.  She is successful and independent – I think young girls these days need strong women role models and I can see it in Abbie in spades.

“The only thing that could trump you today, Abbie, is you tomorrow.  And I don’t want to be without you tomorrow.”

Cameron is just SWOONS.  Everything you ever appreciate in a hero – the King of Woo.  He is patient, kind, caring, thoughtful, and easy on the eyes J — just beautiful inside and out.  I think Cameron and Abbie bring out the best in each other.  I feel they are soul mates from the very start.  They are the living proof that romance isn’t dead and true love exists.  The kind of love that is unconditional and absolute.

Of course, every relationship goes through hills and valleys.  I was blown away by a big twist to the plot.  Completely took my breath away but that’s just Kate.  She has a power of render you speechless and keep you glued to the story.  My heart was dying … but there was an important message conveyed and it definitely worth the attention.  In the end, no one is perfect and everything in life is NOT so back and white.  Trust me!!! You must read the story to understand its entirety.

“I’m still three, where we were.  You’re in my veins, Abbie.  You should know that.  I’ll never stop loving you.”

“Look at me.  This is me at my worst.  Please don’t do this to us.”

“I didn’t do this.”

“You’re right.  I did.  Love me anyway.”

I love that this story got all the feels – funny, sweet, emotional, plenty of angst, sexual tension, passionate sex scenes and intense romance.  I was crying buckets with the visit to mom’s grave scene – shit! The author slayed me there!  That is another thing I love about this book – the close relationships both Abbie and Cameron have for their families and friends (someone you completely love and trust) – that is a rarity these days.  There are a lot of light-hearted moments and hilarious banters between Abbie and Cameron.  The epilogue is just PERFECT – left a permanent smile on my face.  I couldn’t ask for a better ending.

“But just so you know, you and me, we are absolute.”

This story really moved me and I am certain others too.  I am a huge fan of Kate Stewart from the beginning.  She continues to evolve as an author.  She takes risks with her stories and the Real just upped the bar – emotionally charged, passionate, heartfelt … a beautiful love story.  The writing is seamless, magnificent and music to my ears!

Love is for the brave, right? Well Kate, you are brave my friend!

PURCHASE LINKS:

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2EI3n76 

Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/2IRMauq

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2JIxlM7

Paperback: https://amzn.to/2vaJIgN