Review: REAL

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?

Title: REAL (Real, Raw & Ripped ~ Book 1)
Author: Katy Evans | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Website
Publication Date: April 9 2013
Publisher: Self-Published
Tour organized by:  Good Choice Reading Blog Tours 
Length: 266 Pages
Add it to your TBR Pile: Goodreads
Buy It: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Source: Purchased (Kindle Edition)
Cover Love: I love this cover, however I do picture Remy a bit more beefy.
Point of View: 1st person, following Brooke

My Rating: 5 Stars

Holy alpha hottie Batman...

“It feels like he's marking me.  Like he's preparing me for something monumental.  That could both change and ruin my life.”

Wow.  I read this book over a week ago and I am still sat here fanning myself.  I read a lot of different kinds of books, Romance, Young Adult, New Adult... but REAL is in a category all it's own.  It is called the 'Sexually Charged Tension' genre.  I have never, and I mean never, experienced this much sexual chemistry between two characters.  It is practically rolling off of them in waves.

“I can see he thinks he's the ultimate creation, and he seems to believe every woman here is his Eve, created from his ribcage for him to enjoy.  I'm both aroused and infuriated, and this is the most confusing feeling I've ever felt in my life."

I am going to start with Brooke because I am afraid that if I mention 'his' name this early in the review I will lose all train of thought, and this will turn into a fit of rambling.  I like that she is a strong and independent character.  I really appreciate that she has a head on her shoulders that isn't just there to tilt and bat eyelashes at the hot male character.  She is an athlete in her own right, went to college and has an actual profession.  I love her for that.  Do all of her decisions make sense or seem to be the right ones?  Nope.  But if they were would we have a book to read? 

“And nowwww, ladies and gentlemen, the moment we’ve all been waiting for.  Our reigning champion, the defender, the one and only, Remington RIPTIDE Tate! ”

(picks herself up off the floor)  Remington Tate.  What can I say about this man?  And that is exactly what he is folks, he is ALL man.  Remy is tattoos, lust, rage, sex, possessiveness, muscles... all rolled into one nice package.  And there is absolutely one thing for certain, you will never forget Remington Tate.  I have had the pleasure of reading some awesome books with amazing alpha male characters but Remy leaves them all in his dust.  From head to toe the man oozes confidence, and plain and simple sex appeal.

Is Remy perfect?  Of course not, he is probably as messed up as they come.  But his flaws make you love him even more.  As the story progresses and more about Remington and his past come to light it all starts to click into place.  It is then that you understand him, and even though you didn't think it possible you love him even more.

His tongue flashes out to lick a wet path up my neck as an arm coils around my waist, and he crushes me to his body, whispering, “Mine.”

Now, at this stage you are probably thinking this book is nothing but a giant game of fore play and ultimately hot and sweaty sex.  Well, those two things are in fact true but there is so much more.  There is romance.  Yes, you have in fact read that correctly.  Romance.

Remy has a hard time expressing his feelings and one way that he manages to do this is by playing songs for Brooke.  They get into a routine of picking out and playing songs for each other as a way to show the other what they are thinking and feeling.  This is soooo romantic, and I loved the songs that were picked.  I know a lot of authors are releasing play lists with books now a days but this is the first time that I actually wanted to listen to the songs in question.  Throughout the book they are perfect and I love those moments they share with each other.

“You tie me up in knots.  I want to play you a thousand different songs so you can get a clue of what... I feel inside me...”

Okay, I have rambled enough.  If you haven't guessed yet I am strongly recommending REAL.  This is the first book in the series, Real, Raw & Ripped.  There are going to be two further books that follow both Remy and Brooke and then another two for side characters.  I don't want you to worry about there being a dreaded cliffhanger, because even though their story is set to continue there is an ending to REAL that you can be happy with until Mine is released in June 2013.  And the best part?  Mine is being told from Remy's point of view.  I am beyond excited for this release...

“I'll never have enough of you, never.”

MORE QUOTES FROM REAL