Lovin' los libros

A book blog dedicated to young adult and new adult novels

Review: Real by Katy Evans

By 10:58 AM , , , , ,

Real (Real, Raw, and Ripped #1)
   by: Katy Evans

Publication Date: April 8, 2013
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: Mature New Adult/Adult
Source: lent to me via Nook by the great CeCe!
Page Count: 266 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 5/5 stars



 

A fallen boxer.
A woman with a broken dream.
A competition…

He even makes me forget my name. One night was all it took, and I forgot everything and anything except the sexy fighter in the ring who sets my mind ablaze and my body on fire with wanting…

Remington Tate is the strongest, most confusing man I’ve ever met in my life.

He’s the star of the dangerous underground fighting circuit, and I’m drawn to him as I’ve never been drawn to anything in my life. I forget who I am, what I want, with just one look from him. When he’s near, I need to remind myself that I am strong–but he is stronger. And now it’s my job to keep his body working like a perfect machine, his taut muscles primed and ready to break the bones of his next opponents . . .

But the one he’s most threatening to, now, is me.

I want him. I want him without fear. Without reservations.

If only I knew for sure what it is that he wants from me?
                                                           -goodreads.com description

Holy. Freaking. Hell. THIS book. I can't even. I have been hearing buzz about this book forever, but never seemed to be able to make the time for it. Even after all of @booktemptations sexy picture/quote tweets, I still managed to resist. A few days ago after talking with a few fellow bloggers via Twitter about new books we needed to buy, CeCe snagged this one. And because she's so kind and wonderful lent it to me via Nook!

***Please note, this book is for Mature New Adult/Adult readers. It is not suited for younger readers.***

I had the worst possible day ever yesterday, so I wanted, no needed, a book to turn me inside out, upside down, and devour my very soul. Real certainly delivered. It was everything I could have asked for in a book: fierce, passionate, raw, real, heart-wrenching and sweet. I fell in love with both Brooke and Remy, our two main characters. Their personalities, their feelings, their flaws, I was invested in it all.

Brooke Dumas is an ex-runner/competitor due to an ACL injury and after studying sports rehab, is looking for a job. She finds one in the most unexpected of places- from Remington 'Riptide' Tate, an underground boxer. She is immediately drawn to him from the first night his baby blues capture hers. She doesn't know what it is about him, just that plain and simply- she wants him. She clearly made an impression on him as well, as by the end of the first night he saw her, he had to know her name. He ends up offering her a job to work with him and Brooke agrees to go with him.

I've always been fascinated by fighter movies and books, so I loved that Katy took us and gave us insight into the underground fighting world. She has the unique ability to make you feel as if you are sitting ring side, hearing the chants and cheers from the crowd, and the feel of the energy in the atomsphere.

First of all. Hello sexual tension. Brooke and Remy are laced with it! Evans is a mastermind (good or evil, I'm not sure!) at creating thick, juicy sexual tension between these two characters. Even underneath all of the attraction and wants and desires, Evans still paces their relationship just right. I know this line gets quoted all the time, but it is the best way to express just how much Remy wants from Brooke.

“Why’d you want to have sex with me? To have a fucking adventure? What was I supposed to be? Your one-night-fucking stand? I’m every woman’s adventure, damn you, and I don’t want to be yours. I want to be your fucking REAL. You get that? If I fuck you, I want you to belong to me. To be mine. I want you to give yourself to me—not Riptide!” 

He won't settle for just another girl. He wants her to be his girl, in every sense possible. He's had slews of women and cheap meaningless sex. He looks at Brooke and that's the opposite of what he wants. He wants her to know him, to truly know his soul, and still be able to want him and love him. And he's so afraid that once he bares his soul to her, she won't want the same things. I won't say the reason why he is so paranoid, as you find out in the book, and you can't help but feel anguish for the guy. His life is turbulent, violent, and ever-changing. He wants Brooke to be his constant, the one person who won't leave him, no matter what.

Oh, Brooke. That's a whole lotta man to deal with. But she wants to. She wants to be his, and we certainly feel her frustration on SO many levels throughout this book. She doesn't understand why he will kiss the hell out of her, but won't sleep with her. How he could pick the sweetest songs ever from his iPod and play them for her and yet still won't give himself to her in that way. I loved how she called him on it, she didn't play games with him. She was all, "I want you. You want me. Come and effing get it!"

“That's why I didn't want to touch you I knew I'd go crazy if I touched you, and now, it tears me open to ask you to be with me when I know I'm just going to do something to hurt you again!

"Yes! Yes you probably are, you idiot! And it's going to be a damn skydive for me, and I'm going to hang on tight and just jump with you because that's what you do to me.”
 

Brooke is just a main character you have to admire. She won't give up on Remy, she'll fight for him to the ends of the earth, but she will not sit back and let him destroy himself. And she will make the hard choice if she knows it's for the best.

“I love him, Melanie. I love him He's not just a star, he's the whole fucking sky to me. He's the sun and every planet in this galaxy.”

Ok, so we have some really awesome side characters in this book too. Remy's two right hand men, Pete and Riley, are there for him and one of them describes Remy as his soul brother, that's how much these three mean to each other. They pull him down when he's too high and drag him up when he's too low. Absolute true, unfailing friendship. Melanie, is Brooke's best friend, and it's always nice to have that fun, flirty best friend to keep you laughing. Brooke's sister, Nora, also ends up playing a pretty big role in the novel, but I'll let you see how that pans out when you read it.

This book is overcharged with emotion, tension, and passion and at times will gut you and strip you bare, but then will fill you with such hope and happiness you feel like you're going to burst.

Remington Tate is all kinds of REAL. And I cannot wait for Evan's sequel Mine to hit later this year!

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20 comments

  1. I've heard great things about this book :) I may have to give it a try, it really sounds like me kind of book
    I loved your review, I'm glad you liked it so much
    Ruty@Reading...Dreaming

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    1. :D Thanks Ruty. I loved this book. I hope you enjoy it too if you end up reading it!

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  2. Awesome review! I felt all kinds of tingles for this book too. :-) The sexual tension was almost too much for me. I kept telling them to "do it already!" I loved the complexity of Remy's character and how he turned a strong woman like Brooke into a puddle of mush :-)

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    1. Haha, I was the same way! I was almost as frustrated as Brooke! Hahaha!

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  3. If this review is making me this giddy than wowee the book is going to make me insane! I love good sexual tension and those quotes are making me super excited. I am so happy to have been able to share with you : )

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    1. :D Eeeep! Thank you again! You're going to love it!

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  4. Great review and Holy Freaking Hell, I need to get this book! LOL

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  5. I've seen this book EVERYWHERE but haven't had the guts to pick it up but damn girl...after that review, I'll be lucky if I make it to the end of the day without buying it! Great review(:
    Jackie

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    1. Hahah, thanks Jackie! :D I really loved this one. Definitely going on my to be read again list!

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  6. I think this is the type of book that would make me half swoon/ half fall over laughing lol It does sound like something I'd like or like to bitch about ;) SOLD!

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    1. Haha, I hope you end up liking it. Remy is a beast of a man. Mmm.

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  7. I've been looking forward to this one for a while. I THINK I have it in my Nook? Now I wanna go dig through and see if I do. If not I'm getting it like yesterday!

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    1. YES! YES! YES! Sheri! YESSSSSSS! This book WHEW.

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    2. Totally went and bought it...

      Totally gonna squeeze it in between galleys...

      Totally don't know why I keep saying totally...

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    3. I am so totally excited now!!!

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  8. I love those quotes! I bought a copy awhile back but haven't had the chance to read it yet. I should try to change that! Great review! :)

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    1. Thanks Sara! I really enjoyed this one! I can't wait for the next book!

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  9. I love you read this book, so I have someone else that loves Remy too, Jessica! I started reading it and couldn't put it down and it was all because of drooling over alpha male Remy! If I ever had a book fantasy for guy, it's definitely over Remy! LOL Love your review and the first quote you did was the one I fell in love with too!

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    1. I'm with you on the book fantasy guy! Remy definitely tops my list! I like a sexy alpha male every now and again! I tend to like the 'good guys' wayyy too much. Hahaha!

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