Is This For Real?

New York Friendship #2

by Kathy Strobos

An opposites attract, friends-to-lovers, slow burn, fake dating romantic comedy

Love is all fun and games until somebody gets hurt. Usually me. I admit it, I’m a relationship-recluse. Ironic, given that I write romantic comedies. So, I’m on a sabbatical from dating.

Which is why fake dating my best friend Rory is foolproof. Rory suggested it because he needed a date for work functions. And I can use our experiences as fodder for my romcom novel. Plus, my sister doesn’t know it’s not real and she is thrilled that I’m not walling myself off emotionally. Her words, not mine. But I do wish she would stop saying that she always suspected there was something more between me and Rory. She should realize that we’ve been friends forever so I’m immune to his appeal.

We would never work. Rory is such a romantic; he still believes in that perfect love similar to his parents’ marriage. My parents fought bitterly. So, we are better off as friends. I can’t risk losing our friendship, even if this might be my chance—before his ex-girlfriend wins him back.

Those flickers of attraction? Easily extinguished by cold water reality—like a two-mile hike in drenching rain over sand with wheelie luggage.

But our relationship is not sticking to the plot—or is it?

Genres: Romance, Friends To Lovers, Fake Dating, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Rom Com, Chick Lit

364 pages, Paperback

Published December 20, 2021

About the author

Kathy Strobos is a writer living in New York City with her husband and two children, amid a growing collection of books, toys and dollhouses. Born and raised in Manhattan, she loves writing about New York City and her smart heroines who live and fall in love there, amidst its vibrant energy and the aroma of homemade chocolate chip cookies. She is the award-winning author of: A Scavenger Hunt for Hearts, Partner Pursuit, Is This for Real?, Caper Crush, My Book Boyfriend, Love Is an Art, My Secret Snowflake, and My Rock Star Neighbor. Her books have been translated into multiple languages.

Reviews

[rach⭑ · Rating 2 out of 5]

2⭑

This book follows Penelope, a struggling author, and her best friend Rory. They have been friends since college although throughout their friendship Penelope has had an on and off crush on him.

Rory reveals to Penelope that a colleague’s wife keeps hitting on him at work events so suggests she be his fake girlfriend. Penelope agrees to fake date so she can use this experience as research for the romance book she is currently writing.

This book had so many great tropes so I had high hopes for it. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite meet my expectations.

The book had quite a slow start for me. I found the heroine kind of boring and I couldn’t really connect with her all that much.

As she’s a struggling writer, she has been getting a lot of rejections from agents and publishers. I did sympathise with her the first time it was mentioned but then she kept bringing it up and kept getting more rejections to the point that it just felt very repetitive and annoying.

I feel like I can’t even comment much on Rory. He was also pretty boring and there wasn’t much banter between the two main characters, which is what I expect to see when reading a romance about friends to lovers.

I honestly don’t think that the characters had that much romantic or sexual chemistry and when they finally got together, my view of their relationship didn’t change. They were boring as friends and boring as a couple.

Unfortunately this book was just not it for me.

Thank you NetGalley for providing the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[arfs · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, cute cover!! As soon as I saw best friends to lovers I had to give this a read. For one, I really enjoyed the pacing. I was hooked right away. You have them jump right into the ‘fake dating’ from the get go. I really like the fact that the mc is quite relatable and that she has ambitions that she strives for regardless of the realistic barriers that we do face. It was nice to be hooked onto what Penelope was feeling and what she was doing, especially her research for her books were entertaining to read about. None of it felt like filler content. I liked seeing her experience of trying to get her book published, felt some book inception there with her book blog too. I loved Rory as well! Even without his POV he was the perfect book boyfriend. The romcom mentions, the fact that they’re both creative and that he reads her drafts *chefs kiss* Although there was a point in the book he annoyed the hell out of me during the infamous ‘3rd act break-up’ but I’m glad it was resolved. ALSO THE DOLL SCENES WERE SO WHOLESOME.

ARC provided by netgalley :)

[Clara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Strobos' first novel, Partner Pursuit, and I was lucky enough to get an advance copy of Is This for Real? Of her two books so far, this is my favorite. She captures the wholesome, fun spirit of your comfort NYC romcom perfectly; reading the book is like a warm hug, with hilarious (and real) characters and awkward scenes that made me laugh out loud. Early on I found myself rooting for Penelope and crushing on Rory. All of that, thrown together with Strobos' canny ability to transport us magically to any locale with her incredible scene setting, makes the novel feel like a well-deserved vacation from reality.

[maddison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me begin by saying that I would risk it all for Penelope and Rory. I'm not even joking when I say that. They are absolutely adorable! It's a best friends-to-lover romance with faking dating and a slow burn, which is my personal favorite.

This novel depicts a wide range of emotions, which I enjoy. Penelope is a struggling novelist who is sending out her manuscripts to publishers in the hopes that they will be accepted. Although she receives some positive responses initially, they ultimately reject her because they believe she needs to expand. Fake Dating Folly and Caper Crush are the two books she's concentrating on back-to-back, and Kathy's next book is expected to be Caper Crush, which is super cool. She not only manufactures and distributes miniatures to support her income, but she also manages a blog about her dollhouse, which is linked to her Fake Dating Folly narrative.

Since college, Rory has been Penelope's best friend. His encouragement for Penelope's books has to be the cutest thing ever. While the other characters in the novel are supportive of her literary career, Rory occupies the top rank. Especially when he's trying to help her out by reading romance novels. When Penelope approaches Rory for help with her Fake Dating Dolly book, he asks her to fake date him since he too needs to keep his boss's handsy wife off his dump truck.

*thank you to NetGalley of an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[Julie - One Book More · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is this for Real? is a cute contemporary romance with several tropes I enjoy. A friends-to-lovers, fake-dating romance, the story follows Penelope and Rory, long-time friends who pretend to date so his client’s wife won’t hit on him and so Penelope can convince another friend she’s no longer in love with him. However, when Penelope and Rory’s fake romance starts to feel real, will they admit their feelings for each other are more than platonic?

Penelope is such a sweet heroine. She’s is a romance novelist who has had her fair share of rejection, and Rory (love this!) is her biggest supporter and fan. Penelope also designs miniatures and has a blog about her dollhouse and the characters in it, characters who resemble her and the people in her life, particularly the men. It’s so cute and quirky and fun, and I love that Penelope is so determined to make a success of herself and follow her dreams no matter what the naysayers say.

Penelope and Rory have a wonderful friends-to-lovers romance. Old college friends, they have a strong foundation and they both value their relationship. It’s clear from the beginning that they care for each other very much and that they have a pretty special relationship. I love how their story progresses and how they slowly build toward a romantic relationship. Of course, their relationship is not without its problems, especially considering they are only pretending to date and the lines between reality and illusion blur many times for them. Add troublesome exes and meddlesome family into the mix, and Penelope and Rory have a bit to confront and resolve if they want to take that next step in their relationship.

I though this was a cute rom-com with relatable characters and a fun romance. The integration of Penelope’s novel-in-progress, as well as her ongoing plot for her miniatures, whose lives resemble Penelope’s and her friends, are fun additions to the story, and Penelope’s journey to become a published writer is interesting. I do wish some of the characters and relationships were a bit more developed, but overall it was an entertaining read. Special thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources and the author for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

[Ioana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to thank NetGalley and the author for giving me the chance to read this book.

Let me begin by saying that I would risk it all for Penelope and Rory. I'm not even joking when I say that. They are absolutely adorable! It's a best friends-to-lover romance with faking dating and a slow burn, which is my personal favorite. Is This For Real? was everything I needed in a romance book! It was so cute and I felt myself falling for the characters as the story went on.

Penelope and Rory have been friends since college. When Rory needs a date to work functions to ward off his client’s wife, Penelope agrees to help out as she needs some inspiration for her book. Penelope is an aspiring writer hoping to get her book published. Whilst she’s querying her first book, she focuses on the second, which is based around the fake dating trope. I really liked the parallels between her love story and the book she was writing and how it improved as she learnt to express herself more.

I loved how the author incorporated the two ex's to create more drama and the relationship Penelope has with all her friends and family is wholesome and you can see from the start that she is a wonderful person. I really liked the fact that she was doing miniatures which is something about I have never read about before and I found out interesting aspects about it. This book also tackles the subjects of loss, grief and divorce which were incorporated so neatly into the story that it made you feel for the characters.

I didn't particularly liked the conflict from the last few chapters and how the writer the chose to resolve it, giving the fact that it wasn't Penelope's fault, but I let it slide because the good parts shadowed this one tiny inconvenience.

All in all, this was an entertaining read with an adorable romance. I will definitely be reading more of this trope as it warmed my heart! I can’t wait to read more books from this author.

[Jessie Carvalho · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uh, soooooo good. Best friends to lovers, fake dating, slow burn, AND one bed?! I love Penelope and Rory so much. They have so much chemistry. I do prefer the POV from both sides but I still loved this book. They are so similar yet so opposite. The little competition of their exes being around was fun. This book was funny, sweet, and I highly recommend it.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Strawbundle Publishing for the ARC! These are my honest opinions.

[Josephine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was such a cute and fun romance read. First of all the cover... I absolutely love it! The main character Penelope is an aspiring author and throughout Is This For Real, she is writing a book of her own. I loved how the author made it seem that Is This For Real is the book that Penelope was writing. The conflicts that Penelope faced were some of the most realistic and challenging that I have seen in a romance book. There were several times throughout the book that I was genuinely scared about the outcome for the main couple. I have not read the first book by this author that tells the story of another couple seen in this book, but this book made me want to read it. I really liked the author's writing style as well and how she brought in certain topics and conflicts to the story.

[Giofab21 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ugh these two, you can't help but want it to work out. I have to confess that while this book dangled the "will the, won't they" question for a good part of the story with very little contact, I was surprisingly hooked by them both. Good friends with a fake dating deal is a good start, but with all the roadblocks along the way it was hard to see past friend-zone territory. A little travel, a little drama and trying to read a situation right made their story more relatable and I developed a strong need that they had to work out. Funny enough the steam level wasn't through the roof like many of the books I read (as the details are left mostly between these two characters) I still really enjoyed it and didn't seem to care as much as thought I would.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley for my honest opinion.

[Angelica Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The tropes that are a big part of this story are some of my absolute favorites that don't always get put together. Opposites attract, friends-to-lovers, slow burn, and fake dating are all weaved together in a romantic comedy that I fell in love with.

When a romance author who struggles with relationships and her best friend who needs a date to work functions come to an agreement to fake a relationship she never expected the feelings towards him that forming rapidly. She thought she wasn't affected by his charm, but she soon realizes that's not true at all. She always thought their story was meant to be told as friends, but as more pages turn the more she realizes a romance with her best friend may just be what she has always been looking for.

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this novel.

[Laura ☾ · Rating 2 out of 5]

*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review *

While I had high hopes for Is This For Real, somehow I just couldn't get into this.

The characters felt flat and the narrative seemed disjointed, coupled with a cliché storyline riddled with tropes. I'll forgive the cliché part in a rom com if I like the characters, but somehow this didn't make me fall in love with them.

Also, Rory having to ‘fake date’ to avoid his boss’s wife’s sexual advances was just awkward and made me supremely uncomfortable.

[sintiareads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the free ARC!

It was a fun and cute read, I enjoyed it. Friends-to-lovers, always a big yes for me! It's a trope I'll never get bored with and in this one it was represented really good.
Penelope was a likeable character, I liked how she never gave up on her dream to become a writer and was constantly writing. It gives me motivation to take her as an example. After so many rejections she never stopped editing her book and taking all the criticism to do better. I was happy that the author wrote the parts where other characters give their opinion about what she could change in her books. Really well done!
She and her best friend Rory decide to fake-date, but then Penelope starts to feel real emotions for him. What was before only research for her book became a real thing. I liked how their relationship developed, you can see that they got along before they started dating, but I wanted to read a bit more about their relationship and their feelings. I wanted to read more about the slow-burn and have more situations where they slowly discover their true feelings. All the other characters were good ones too.

Kathy Strobos was a discovery these past few months and I hope to read more books by her. She's a really good author and I like her writing style. This one is now my favourite book by her.

[Florrie Ellen Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGallery and the publishers for this arc in exchange for an honest review. Overall I really enjoyed this book! It was a friends to fake dating trope which I really like but it also delved into the frustrations of fake dating someone. Not only that, the main character is an aspiring writer and this story shows the struggles of receiving rejection letters and struggles to write the perfect story! No matter the obstacles in her way, Penelope finds ways to strive for her ambitions regardless. However, I would of loved to see Rory’s pov and understand the intentions and feelings behind some of his actions. This was a really cute story overall and I did enjoy reading it! Also the cover is so pretty!

[julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Is this for real’ begins with Penelope meeting her childhood best friend-former crush- for a lunch date with his new girlfriend. Per Penelope’s request her best friend Rory joins the date for support. As they wait, talking about Penelope’s struggles with her writing and Rory’s weird encounter at his latest work function, an idea pops into Rory’s head that they should fake date. A win-win for both considering he needs a date for work functions and she could use that experience for ideas to her new romcom novel, as well as showing her former crush that she’s very much over him. As time progress, how will they stop from falling for each other? Will they comprise their friendship or can they feel that magical love Rory speaks so fondly of? This book is a feel-good read with a great love story from beginning to end. And I loved the guest appearances. The slowburn and the fake-dating, absolutely marvelous. I would risk it all for Rory and Penelope.

*Thank you Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.*

[An]

DNF at 30%.

Had this one on hold for a long time but I realized that it makes no sense to force myself through this book (and I'm cleaning up my reading book lists). I absolutely can't go through the writing style. It's so... overly simple, rough, with no feeling? And events seem to happen just like that - as if someone cut sentences with an axe and then tried put them together. I feel zero attachment to the characters and their personal journey.

[Georgia Husselbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is This For Real? was everything I needed in a romance book! It was so cute and I felt myself falling for the characters as the story went on.

Penelope and Rory have been friends since college. When Rory needs a date to work functions to ward off his client’s wife, Penelope agrees to help out as she needs some inspiration for her book. Penelope is an aspiring writer hoping to get her book published. Whilst she’s querying her first book, she focuses on the second, which is based around the fake dating trope. I really liked the parallels between her love story and the book she was writing and how it improved as she learnt to express herself more.

‘I’m not in love with him and it’s not like the books.’

Penelope has always loved her childhood best friend, Jamie, but the last time she saw him she confessed her feeling and he responded with ‘I don’t feel the same way.’ Determined not to let him get under her skin, Rory accompanies her on her lunch with Jamie and his new girlfriend. To keep up appearances, Penelope and Rory are very touchy and Penelope likes it. I loved her slow realisation of her feelings for Rory, how she processed them and then tried to figure out how to tell him. After all fake-dating never seems to stay fake! There were many cute scenes and dates that this couple did to spark inspiration for Penelope’s novel, including two trips away, and yes there was one bed!

‘Curls, you know you’re my girl, right?’

The romance in this book was so cute! I was swooning over Rory and loved their sentimental moments. Rory is incredibly supportive of Penelope’s writing and it was easy to tell he had feelings for her in the way he looked at her and defended her career path. But of course, the course of love never did run smooth! Rory’s ex-girlfriend appears back in the picture and seems to be trying to win him back, and then there is the matter of Jamie. I loved the way Penelope and Rory worked out their issues and understood the importance of working together and not separately.

‘I think I’m good at forever if it’s with you.’

This is a slow burn friends-to-lovers, but it is worth it! I haven’t read a friends-to-lovers book in a while and I cannot praise this one enough. I really enjoyed it and loved the characters both individually and together. I thought they stayed true to themselves, especially Penelope with her love for writing and dollhouse miniatures. All in all, this was an entertaining read with an adorable romance. I will definitely be reading more of this trope as it warmed my heart! I can’t wait to read more books from this author.

*Thank you to NetGalley, the author and Strawbundle Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

[Kimberly Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my second Kathy Strobos novel, so I knew I was in for a fun, romantic story, with New York playing a key role as a supporting character. The gorgeous cover was a plus, too.

Penelope is a struggling, still unpublished, author, making ends meet through multiple jobs. She faces rejection after rejection as she attempts to get her romantic comedies published. Her love life has been somewhat of a disaster, too.

Rory is one of Penelope’s closest friends, with a friendship dating back to college. He’s a creative at an advertising agency and a serial committed boyfriend. That is, until he falls out with his latest exclusive girlfriend and begins the cycle once again. Distraught that the wife of his current client is hitting on him, he asks Penelope to pose as his girlfriend for a work party.

Soon the fake dating plan suffers from mission creep, bringing in Penelope’s sister, her former crush and Rory’s parents and his ex. Penelope and Rory masterfully play a couple in love, but can they truly become that couple without risking their friendship?

This was a fun friends-to-lovers tale, with the complication of fake dating adding an extra layer of tension. Penelope and Rory were well-drawn characters, with valid concerns that changing their relationship could destroy their strong friendship. I enjoyed the full cast of supporting characters and the backdrop of New York for this fun story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this novel, in exchange for an honest review.

[Lauren coffeebooksandescape · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Rory thought of “All in, all good.” I like it. Catchy. Even if maybe it’s the opposite of my life slogan. That would be more like “Not in, all difficult.””

✮✮✮✮✮

Penelope and Rory are fake-dating. They’ve been best friends for years, and agree to fake-date so they each have someone to “show-off” in certain situations. Penelope, who is writing a novel based on fake-dating, uses it as an opportunity for research for her book too, but finds herself thinking about Rory when she shouldn’t. Is she getting feelings? It would never work out if she was… Rory is a diehard romantic, and she believes marriage can end in disaster.

Wow. Can I just say, Kathy’s writing definitely takes this book to another level. I liked the first book in the series, but I loved this one. The backwards, and forwards, and constant mixed emotions, with fear of stepping over an invisible line is really clear in this book. I would risk it all for these two, and I was gutted towards the end when Rory and Penelope almost lost it all.

My emotions were all over the place throughout this book, and the scenes were so perfect I could imagine them all taking place before my eyes. Kathy’s attention to detail is terrific when it comes to describing places within scenes, although I think I read the word ‘brownstone’ at least twenty times..! But, that’s minor and this was an incredible read!

This is a best friends to lovers romance, with feel-good vibes! Definitely recommend to anyone wanting a nice, light read.

Thank you to Strawbundle Publishing, Kathy Strobos and NetGalley for providing me with a copy!

[Richa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Penelope and Rory have been great friends since their college days. Penelope is a struggling writer who's looking for a chance to get published after repeated rejections while Rory works in marketing. It's when he needs her help to dissuade a clients wife from hitting on him that they come up with the perfect plan of fake dating. It'll help him with distancing the old woman who keeps hitting on him, and Penelope will get her fodder for a fake-dating novel she's writing. But it's not a surprise when the lines between fake and real start to blur a little, sparks ignite and leave things a bit complicated.

I liked Rory's character a lot. He's Penelope's biggest cheerleader and his words of constant encouragement for her were some of the cutest scenes. He was also extremely patient with her. I felt like Penelope's character lacked depth especially in the first half. She repeated a lot of her thoughts about books or Rory and her feelings, and seemed weak rather than vulnerable, which made her dull/annoying/repetitive. Being in her head got boring sometimes. I think it was because of this that I did not feel much chemistry between her and Rory. Other than that though, the late-night dancing, going to museums together, the banter etc., were all really well-written scenes!

If you love a good friends-to-lovers trope along with fake dating and slow-burn, this one's for you!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the ARc in exchange for an honest review.

[Jenn (lit.with.jenn) · Rating 3 out of 5]

You truly learn the ins-and-outs of Penelope throughout the "Is This for Real?". Penelope and her best friend Rory start fake dating to mutually benefit them in work, her as a writer and Rory with a handsy client's wife. I love fake dating tropes, they're one of my favorites - we all know how this is going to end. Penelope was a great character and I loved getting to know her friends and Rory. The tension between the Penelope and Rory is steamy, but all spicy scenes are fully left to the readers imagination. The only thing I disliked about the book was the detail, sometimes it felt like I was being disconnected from the story because of detail overload. Almost like it was an all access pass to Penelope's every inner thought.

Overall, I would give this book a 3.5/5

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story
Penelope is a twenty-something New Yorker. She’s given herself two years to get her career as a romance writer off the ground, but her stories keep being rejected by agents and publishers. A lot of the feedback she gets is that the stories hold back the emotional stuff, and she knows it probably has to do with the fact that she herself holds back on emotions. When her parents were killed in a light aircraft accident when she was in college, it changed her life. When Penelope’s best guy-friend Rory suggests fake dating to help him avoid a client’s amorous wife and help Penelope with her storyline, she agrees. She knows that she will probably end up feeling more than she should and has her doubts. But it seems that maybe Rory suggested the fake dating less to help himself and more to test the waters with Penelope.

My thoughts
I loved how closely the storyline in Penelope’s books and miniatures blog mimicked the events of her real life. Her side business in miniatures is her own form of art and expression, and seems to be a successful business even when her writing career is a challenge. So many aspects of this story felt like those photos of photos taken in a mirror, reverberated into infinity. I felt like I was sitting on Penelope’s shoulder, sharing her viewpoint and getting a clear line of sight into her thoughts. I felt so close to the story that at some points, I wanted to whisper to Penelope to just throw a tantrum and tell Rory to get rid of his his horrible ex. I loved how, similar to Partner Pursuit, the city is such an integral part of the story, almost a character in itself. It’s a goodie!

I read an eARC copy courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher.

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though I planned to read this book in December, I’m so happy that I waited to read it now. You see.. I wasn’t in the best mindset to read about Penelope finding out that hiding your emotions behind a sky high wall is not healthy. Nor is it healthy to settle with someone you’ve know for ages just because they feel safe. Taking a chance on yourself to let someone new in, someone with the potential to hurt you is one of the scariest things I can imagine.

Penelope, a writer and woman who’d been through so much in her young life already started creating miniature art (dollhouse furniture and the like) depicting what had happened after she told her childhood best friend she loved him. Now, used to rejection, Penelope decides to channel those feelings into her art and writing but what happens when her newest book has a fake dating trope? Who better to ask to fake date her than her swoon worthy best friend Rory?

Now, if like me you love the fake dating your best friend trope you know that it never works & all that ends up happening is the inevitable falling for each other. Though it isn’t all smooth sailing with Rory and Penelope & there are so many more rejections that Penelope has to go through and so many hurdles that these two have to overcome.. it all works out in the end.

I read this book in one sitting & I could not get nearly enough of it. I loved the friendship between Rory and Penelope, I loved how swoon-worthy Rory was, just how much character growth Penelope had throughout the novel & just how much this book made me smile.

[Hal the Faerie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know where I stand with this book. I liked the ending, but I also felt it was incredibly rushed. I felt like the author seems to relish the awful parts of the book, where there is tension and pain, but the good parts zoom past as if they are not of significant value. I didn't like that at all. Penelope's dream of finally getting her book published is achieved at the end, but it's hardly celebrated in the book, as the book ends soon after. Instead, we spend so much time seeing her fail. I liked her romance with Rory, but at some times it got boring, and I just felt there wasn't much to it. I also felt like there were a lot of chapters that added no value to the story's progression.
I liked one of the quotes in the book, which is probably what salvaged this for me. But for the most part, I felt like a good concept was wasted, which is such a shame. I just found this read to be something I carried on because I committed myself to reading it, I lost interest because it just got quite boring, and ended up finishing it so I could get it off my shelf. I am quite disappointed, I really wanted to enjoy this book, especially after really liking 'Partner Pursuit.'

[Pam Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those gentle romcoms which you can relax into and which makes for an entertaining and fun read. I did appreciate the references to several 'romcom tropes' which were reflected in the story itself. Rory and Penelope are both likeable characters and the chemistry between them is obvious from the start. An aspiring romcom writer, you get to follow Penelope's journey as she faces rejection after rejection and at the same time, juggles all the creative projects she has on the go.

Written in the first person, you see the story through Penelope's eyes and get to hear her thoughts. This makes her seem very approachable and sympathetic. Seemingly the polar opposite of the romantic Rory, she does all she can to protect her feelings and puts up defences. She gets to express her true feelings through her writing and her creative tasks. There are plenty of characters in the story to add life and humour.

In short: Will they, won't they?
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the book

[icey ❀ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really didn't know what to expect from this as I liked Strobos' previous book but wasn't a really big big fan of it.
In fact, the beginning felt so slow I really struggled to keep going, I really didn't like like any character in the book until maybe the last 30% of the book, and I felt a lack of chemistry and connection between the two friends for most of the book.
However, it was overall, a cute fake dating and friends to lovers book and I definitely enjoyed it more than the first one.

[jas · Rating 3 out of 5]

thank you netgalley for this arc which i received in exchange for an honest review.

this was a cute romance with lots of charm and i really enjoyed reading from the perspective of the protagonist.

penelope was unique to all other heroines i’d read about before. i love how we learnt so much about her and she wasn’t one dimensional. her miniature business and her difficult journey trying to get her books published.

although the romance towards the end lost me a bit (rory acting like a bit of an asshole and the book kinda falling towards the woman having to apologise for the man’s mistake trope) i did enjoy this and it was easy to read.

i recommend for fans of romantic comedies and feel good romances which are very character driven.

[Nicola Malloch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Kathy Strobus and Rachel’s Random Resources for gifting me a digital copy of Is This for Real in exchange for an honest review. I adored this book; I devoured it all in one day. In is this for real we follow Penelope a writer, creator of miniature worlds, dog carer and occasional window dresser. Does creating a fake relationship with an old friend work in Penelope’s book or in her real life? We go on an adventure with the help of Rory and Jamie. It’s hard to review books like this as I never want to give away what happens but I thoroughly enjoyed Penelope’s self discovery and the relationships she builds along the way. I can’t wait to read more books by Kathy Strobus.

[Sarah Brunsdon · Rating 4 out of 5]

very cutesy and real😌

[Kathy Strobos]

If you are looking for:
- friends-to-lovers
- fake dating
- slow burn
- closed door
- a protagonist who makes dollhouse miniatures

come fall in love with Penelope and Rory in Is This for Real?

I am so thrilled to share their story with you!

[Nicole (the library of n) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Penelope and Rory are best friends. Enter Rory's attempts to dissuade his client's wife from hitting on him and Penelope's attempts to prove that she's over the love she professed for her childhood best friend and there's only one solution. They fake date each other. It's the perfect set-up. Penelope will get much needed material for the rom-com she's writing, Rory will be safe at work functions, Penelope won't have to suffer around her childhood friend's new girlfriend. Perfect. And no one will ever ever get hurt because they're best friends and definitely not into one another. Until things start to get complicated. Enter late night dancing, a rainy, dreadful trip to Fire Island, and sparks every time they touch. Will Rory and Penelope be able to stick to their deal?

Let's start with this, I would sell my soul for any good best friends to lovers couple. SELL MY SOUL I TELL YOU. And Rory and Penelope deliver wonderfully!!! There is a reason that best friends to lovers is the best trope ever (not up for discussion, this is fact). They KNOW each other, they already CARE ABOUT EACH OTHER, there isn't any awkward, bumbling incidents where they try to get to know each other or figure things out about one another, that's already long long long out of the way. Add to that they adorable way that EVERYONE ELSE already sees what is abundantly clear and then they start to realize it on their own? Perfection. Rory and Penelope deliver this generously!! Rory is amazing to (and for!!) Penelope, he is SO SUPPORTIVE, which she needs quadruple while she tries to get her novel published, caring, loving, adorable, amazing. I'm obsessed!! Penelope is an awesome, incredibly well-developed character. I love that she has this whole life and career and it's a little off the beaten path but she's going to make it work for her!! I was rooting for her the whole time.

We get a little bit of drama with ex-girlfriends and childhood friends and navigating difficult family situations, but nothing feels unnecessary or dramatic just for the sake of being dramatic. I really appreciated that the main drama wasn't just necessarily a "miscommunication" like we see so often.

If you like: fake-dating, best friends to lovers, slow burn (LIKE SLOW SLOW SLOW), one bed, fade to black, then this is an amazing, well developed read. It's a little long but I loved it because I was relishing every second I got with Rory and Penelope!

"I'm looking forward to a life of magic and mundane with you."

Thanks to Netgalley and Strawbundle Publishing for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. This copy in no way influences my opinions or review.