Book Log

For Real - Alexis Hall - 7/7/24

Not a Wattpad published book
CONTENT WARNING: Contains NSFW content. Proceed with caution 16+ only.

Six years ago, the man I loved gave up on me-- and I gave up on everything in return. Once I submitted with my whole heart...
And now, I'm just going through the motions.

Laurece Dalziel \dee-ell\ is worn down and washed up, and for him, the scene is all played out. Six yeard from his last meaningful relationship, he's pushing forty and tired of pretending nothing has changed. Then he meets Toby Finch. Young. Fearless, fierce, and vulnerable. Everything Laurie can't remember being.

Toby doesn't know who he wants to be or what he wants to do, but he knows that he wants Laurie. The problem is, while Laurie will surrender his body, he won't surrender his heart. Because Toby is too young, too intense, too easy to hurt. And what they have--no matter how right it feels--can't last. It can't mean anything.

It can't be real.

*~*

Oh my oh my oh my, I love these two knuckleheads so much. Laurie and Toby might be my new favorite gays, everyone. This book was absolutely perfect, just the right level of steamy paired with big emotions, life-altering traumas, vulnerability from all parties, and enough reader heart wrenching to leave you wondering if you should laugh or cry. I truly feel for these two and the real-life problems that they tackle with help from each other.

Reading something like this almost feels criminal, wrong, but just as these two realize, it's all real, and it's all too good to give up. I absolutely devoured this book, entirely entranced by the constantly switching point of views and the completely in depth capturing of the most emotionally raw and bare aspects of these boys' souls. If Hall could make me fall in love with these fuckers (literally) in the span of two days, what more could anyone ask for?

I'd rate this book 5/5 stars. I was sold on it from the very first page. And to think, I almost left the bookstore without investigating the LGBTQ+ section! What a mistake I would've made if I hadn't brought this treasure home with me. I will definitely be reading again, very soon!

Note from Me: Apparently For Real is the third book in some sort of series. I did some digging, and it doesn't appear to be directly connected to the other books in the sequence. From personal experience, I didn't feel like I was missing anything. I believe it can be read very effectively as a standalone.