3 out of 4 stars
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Fantasy for Real by Claire S. Crawford is book number one in the Ruth and Adam series, and was published in 2016. Although this story is categorized as romance, I would say it is more like border-line erotica. Crawford is known to write raunchy books that are fast-paced, which describes Fantasy for Real perfectly, as it’s barely over 100 pages.
Ruth Darcy grew up in a strict home in a small town. Her parent’s expectations regarding what her life should be was to find a wealthy husband, have a few children, and spend her days at home as a mother and wife. Relentless to find her own way, Ruth moves to the big city in hopes of achieving her own dreams. Ruth’s goal is to eventually open her own affordable and classy boutique, but in order to achieve her dream, Ruth must first find a job to start up her savings plan.
While having drinks with her best friend/roommate, Ruth can’t stop herself from staring at the most attractive man she has ever laid eyes on. Across the bar, Adam Grace is also stealing glances at the beautiful and obviously shy Ruth. When a spur of the moment decision causes Ruth to approach Adam, the two hit things off immediately and leave for a night ride on his motorcycle. After a night of raunchy passion, Ruth has her expectations set high that she has met someone memorable.
Life seems to have different plans for Ruth, as anything that could possibly get in the way between her and Adam does, leaving her wondering if it was only one night of fun and nothing more. When doubt starts to creep in, Ruth is left wondering who this man really is. Why does he only respond back when it seems convenient for him? is he really into her, or was this just his way of picking up women? Was he only using her for the one night of fun?
Aside from Adam, one of the other featured secondary characters is Jen, Ruth’s roommate and best friend since childhood. Jen proves to be a great friend by offering Ruth the best necessary advice she can, and also a place to stay until she is able to afford a home of her own.
Fantasy for Real was a light and enjoyable read, which I easily finished in one sitting. The only complaint I had with the story was the lack of believable conversation. Most of the dialogue, especially between Adam and Ruth, seemed a bit unrealistic. Said to be shy and introverted, Ruth definitely seemed a bit too outspoken for her character’s personality. I found no grammatical errors while reading, which is always a plus. The writing style of Fantasy for Real was fast-paced, engaging, and smooth, which is what one would expect with a raunchy romance novel. I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars, and am looking forward to what book two should offer. The first book left off with a cliff hanger, but with book two having already been released, it’s easy to continue the next book in the series, which I plan to do. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy a light romance read, but also for those who do not mind a bit of eroticism. Because of the detailed sexual activity, I would only recommend this book for mature readers.
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Fantasy for Real
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It's too bad the dialogue isn't consistent with the characters' personalities. The plot sounds interesting even though I don't like cliffhangers at the end of a story.
