Is This For Real By Author Kathy Strobos – Book Review

Kathy Strobos’s Is This for Real? is the second book in the New York Friendships series, with Partner Pursuit being the first. The book follows wannabee romance author, Penelope and her pursuit to win the love of her friend, Jamie, to whom she blurted her love before he left for an overseas job. Rory, her closest friend from college with whom she is still in contact, is trying to dissuade the wife of a client from any romantic interest to no avail. Rory suggests fake dating each other to put her off the scent, and Penelope agrees. After all, it will provide valuable experiences for her romcom novel, and now that Jamie is back with a girlfriend in tow, she hopes fake-dating Rory will make Jamie jealous and realise he has
feelings for her.
Watching Jamie’s new girlfriend, Willow’s intimate touches across the table at brunch was unsettling for Penelope, but when Rory decides to match each of her moves with a move of his own on Penelope, her unsettlement reaches a new level. Sparks are definitely flying, but this cannot be real, can it? After all, she told Rory this was just for research for her new romance novel.
Can Penelope keep up the charade when she feels she is losing the plot and falling in love with Rory? Does he feel the same? After all, the fake dating was his idea in the first place.
Told in the first person and from Penelope’s point of view, Kathy Strobos draws her characters as well-rounded and believable. She throws in an exciting cast of supporting characters to add flavour. The plot relies on a few well-worn tropes including ‘friends to lovers’ and ‘fake dating’ to bring the reader along on a fun escapade through the romantic twists and turns to a satisfying conclusion. After all, every romance needs a happily-ever-after.
Despite knowing that it will be a happy ending, the story is engaging and well-written, with only a few minor editing issues that have escaped the editing process.
Dialogue is plentiful and provides some comedic interludes. The inclusion of text messages and emails helps to further the plot and the story move along at an even pace, speeding up where needed and slowing down to allow the reader to revel in the joy that is a romcom adventure.
As a reader of many genres, a good romcom is always a welcome distraction to throw into the mix. I enjoyed this book immensely and have awarded this book 4 stars.

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