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

Series Saturday (5) and Review

Today on Series Saturday I am featuring a review of Real by Katy Evans. This is the first book in the Real, Raw & Ripped series. There will be 4 more books in this series: Mine, Remy, Raw, & Ripped.

Real (Real, Raw & Ripped #1) by Katy Evans

Publication Date: September 3, 2013
Page Count: 320
Published by: Gallery Books
Source: eArc provided in exchange for an honest review


New Adult Contemporary Romance **Mature Content**
Recommended for ages 17+ due to sexual situations and language.

Synopsis From Goodreads:

HOT. SEXY. POWERFUL. PAINFUL. REAL. The scorching international bestseller that strips away everything you’ve ever believed about passion . . . .

Remington Tate has a bad-boy rep in and out of the ring, a granite-hard body, and a raw, animal power that sends his female fans into a frenzy. But from the moment their eyes lock, the only woman he wants is Brooke Dumas. His desire is pure, all-consuming, and REAL.

Hired to keep his perfect body working like a machine, Brooke finally has the lucrative sports therapy job she’s been dreaming of. But as she tours the dangerous underground fighting circuit with Remy and his team, Brooke’s own body becomes alive with the most primal of hungers. If what happens between Brooke and Remy is ever as light as a flirtation, it quickly becomes an erotic obsession for them both, and promises so much more.

But their white-hot lust has a dark side—and when Remy’s deepest secret comes to light and Brooke’s familial duties demand action, will the pair be able to hang on, or will everything that once seemed so real suddenly fade away like an illusion?

You know what? Honestly, this was not a terrible book by my standards. However, the use - sorry, I meant to say OVER use - of certain words, phrases, and actions caused me to rate this book down.

The repetition in this book was beyond ridiculous. The clenching! Everything clenched, all the time, and several times a page. There was too much licking. Like all the time licking. It was just too much for me. Oh, the scenting. They didn't smell each other, they scented. I don't even know WTF that means exactly, but it was worrisome for me. Also, Brooke had a condition... I'll just stop here and simplify things. She was horny. Perpetually horny. And her inner dialogue was really forthcoming about her constant wet state. That's not something I wanted or needed to know.

Needless to say, I didn't like Brooke at all. I couldn't understood her way of thinking and acting, so I never really connected with her.

I really didn't get to know Remy very well, but for some unknown reason, I really liked him. He was troubled, yet I found him intriguing, and I wanted to know more about him. That doesn't mean that I agree with the way he handled things. I really wanted Remy to man up and own his problem, and be proactive in doing something about it. Instead, he hired people to 'handle' him when his problem got out of hand. I would have preferred Remy facing things head on and taking the responsibility for it himself.

I really didn't get Brooke and Remy's attraction, other than they were hot for each other. I honestly can't even tell you if they were good for each other or not. And I don't know if either one of them brought anything worthwhile to the relationship. It really had disaster written all over it!

Halfway through the book I was desperate for conversations between Brooke and Remy. Was it really that difficult to write real conversations between the two of them? They barely speak to each other! The whole music thing was alright, but I would have preferred actual dialogue.

Surprisingly, I found Real to be an addictive read. One that I couldn't put down until I finished it. Just be aware that there are tons of issues with this book. There was some really bad writing at times, too much repetition, and immature actions and inner dialogue. What I really enjoyed was the boxing/fighting aspect. I do think that Real had the potential to be really great, but it fell short for me.

I am contemplating reading the next installment titled Mine. I just don't want to suffer through more of Brooke's POV! The 3rd book, Remy, will be from Remy's POV, which I think I will enjoy because I AM interested in learning more about Remy.

My rating: 3 of 5 stars