Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: The Real Thing
SERIES: A S.W.A.L.K Story
AUTHOR: Elizabeth Hollows
PUBLISHER: Pride Publishing
LENGTH: 192 pages
RELEASE DATE: February 1, 2022
BLURB:
A S.W.A.L.K story
One soldier home from training. Two best friends secretly in love. A plan to fake a romantic Valentine’s weekend. Will it be happiness or heartbreak?
Chad Anderson is a proud soldier with a promising career. He has almost got the perfect life, but for one small snag. Chad has been holding a candle for his best friend since he was seventeen.
Gareth Jenkins lives with him, along with his rescue dog. It’s the perfect arrangement and almost as good as the real thing—but it isn’t the real thing.
To make matters worse, it’s Valentine’s Day, and Chad will be returning from training for the holiday. It would be the ideal time to confess—but it has been nearly ten years. It’s long past the time to say something.
But he isn’t the only one with a candle.
Gareth might be a confident hairdresser with a flirtatious manner and easy-to-love personality, but it doesn’t help him where it counts. Because Gareth’s first love is his sexy soldier best friend, and one of these days, Gareth is sure he’s going to ruin everything with an unwanted kiss.
And if things aren’t bad enough for both of them, Chad comes up with an idea that might spell the end for their secrets. Because, instead of spending Valentine’s alone, he suggests they spend it having the weekend they’ve always wanted.
To do it, they’ll fake being a romantic couple.
When what they want is playing out right in front of them, can both men keep their feelings contained?
REVIEW:
Chad and Gareth had been friends since childhood. They even lived together so that while Chad was away, being a soldier, the house wasn’t empty. However, at different times in their lives, one fell for the other but was afraid to ruin their friendship. Until one valentine’s, when both were single, they agreed to be the other fake valentine. But would fake be enough?
The Real Thing is a sweetly sensual, warm the cockles of your heart tale that everyone needs on their shelf for when all you want to do is read some fluff that has a heart. One that leaves you with warm fuzzies.
The story is told in the third person from Chad and Gareth’s viewpoint. I loved that the tale only contains three characters – Chad, Gareth, and Helga the German Shepard. Also, the period in question only spans a long weekend. Sooo – how does an author make a few days into a novel? They make it highly detailed – not a movement is missed. Now then, I’m not usually a fan of comprehensive descriptions, and no author gets it perfect for everyone (it’s impossible), but here the concept fits. The only part missing was that although Helga was a significant player who received lots of love and walks, she never seemed to get fed – that part is assumed alongside bathroom breaks.
I am a sucker for friends to lovers’ stories, preferably with a bit of angst thrown in, but this is a valentine’s special, and the will they won’t they and what will happen after, added a few missed heartbeats, it is entirely in keeping with the February 14th celebration. The boys are immediately likable. Chad is the poster boy for making someone feel special, and Gareth is worthy of being made to feel special.
The Real Thing is a simple, well-executed, valentine story that could be the manual for how to get it right. Well done.
RATING:
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