Review and Giveaway: Real by Katy Evans

Our 4 star review

“There’s no apology in his stare. In the way he ignores everyone that shouts his name and stares at me with a look that’s so sexual I almost feel taken right here."
 
Remington “Riptide” Tate is an underground fighter. Having been disqualified from professional boxing, he rules the underground circuit, distributing bruises and collecting hearts. Brooke is an out of work physical therapist, who is dragged to one of his fights by her girlfriend Melanie.  Brooke tends to be a little conservative in her taste and Melanie is a bit of a party girl who loves her frequent dalliances with the flavor of the month, or week or whenever. Brooke catches Remy’s eye early on and the connection is mutual. He makes sure she isn’t leaving the arena without finding out her name and Melanie makes sure to give him Brooke’s cell number. Remy and his entourage offer Brooke an interesting offer to be Remy’s physical therapist. This is conditional on her willingness to sign a three month contract ensuring she will stay for at least that long.
 
“Brooke, I need you to know who I am. What I am. “
 
Both dance around each other; she works out the knots in his perfectly sculpted body and he has eyeball sex with her with every glance. They connect over their iPods; each has amassed thousands of songs each representing something meaningful in their lives. Instead of giving into their desires, they exchange tantalizing songs, each one seduces with their melodic rhythm that which they won’t offer with their bodies. Remy has a deep dark, emphasis on dark, secret, one that roars its ugly head and destroys everything in its path. Brooke has had to redefine her goals due to a devastating, debilitating injury. Her life crashed around her when her Olympic dreams were shattered; when her body let her down. She has learned to reinvent herself, but in the process has alienated herself from her parents and her sister. She has lived in the shadow of her perfect, younger sister who at present is traveling the world on her own. With the dysfunction these two are drowning in, can two such scarred individuals overcome their own self-imposed limitations to take a chance on a relationship?
 
Even when it seems that these two will be some semblance of a couple, Remy’s demons are only somewhat calmed by Brooke. His jealousy and possessiveness become a monumental problem and Brooke has to contend with not only his hang ups but a discovery which undermines her own life. Evans has created characters that are flawed and broken and real. In spite of their obstacles, or maybe because of them, we keep rooting for them, hoping that their own tendencies won’t keep ruining things for them. Her secondary characters are interesting and provide a multi leveled canvass for the action in the storyline. Music plays an important part in this novel, at times almost too important as was the numerous references to the mechanics of Remy’s diet, exercise and physical therapy. Nonetheless, Real is a steamy read; the chemistry between these two is combustible. The intrigue in the novel keeps the reader interested as Evans delivers a one two punch with Real. 

 We were provided a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

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