What I did like about this book was the focus on friendship. I loved the bond that Joni, Saffy and Mary made. A real mismatch of women and personalities, but the perfect blend for a fantastic friendship. The author portrayed loneliness well and explored the feelings that come with being lonely. I’m glad that the three women found each other, despite it being for such rubbish reasons!! Whilst I did love their friendship, I found the last 10-15% of the book unnecessary and dragged out. I think it could have ended a lot sooner than it did. I loved Lucas and I liked the development of his friendship with Joni. He was really funny! A smart and funny look at the pitfalls of online dating. It provides laugh-out-loud moments . . . I've read all Jane Fallon's books! ADELE PARKS, SUN I whipped through Just Got Real by Jane Fallon in a single sunlounger session and howled with laughter . . . A tautly plotted story of betrayal and revenge, it's threaded with authentic characters and heartwarming friendship -- Clare Macintosh * Good Housekeeping * At first glance especially with the gorgeous pink front cover i said to myself this is a typical romance story. However i finished the book with a totally different opinion as it covered some heavy topics such as online dating, deception,grief and loss, romance related fraud as well as loneliness. This is the great dating app novel, red in tooth and claw, full of secret lives and lies, the story of what we will do to find love - and how far we will go when that longing is cruelly betrayed.

I absolutely loved Just Got Real. It's modern, it's relevant, it's funny, and I was completely hooked from start to finish. Whilst the dating story is the primary storyline, it's very much Joni who is the main focus of the story, as she moves on with her life after a divorce, the loss of a friend and her daughter leaving home. She takes comfort in her routine but there's no real joy there. I won't go into what happens along the way but by the end I was full of hope for her in the future. Jane just keeps getting better and better. Her books are so smart, funny and warm. I really love her relatable characters, who appear fragile until they become warriors we cheer for." - Adele Parks The three main characters are so different but equally likeable, and I think lots of readers will relate to them in many ways. Romance: This book's romance is simple, clean, and cute. Kaden and AJ end up dating (even though they have their differences) and are super sweet and all that. On the other hand, Kate's "boyfriend", Alex ends up being really annoying. He does some bad things to embarrass Kate, and lets just say they don't have a great relationship. Another Fallonesque treat. Full of heart, humour and humanity. She's so good at tapping into the best and the worst in us. Fabulous * RUTH JONES *Ingenious. Her eye for detail, compressed emotion and the absurdity that lurks beneath what people say to each other, is unerring. One of our very finest comic novelists * Tortoise Media * When happily divorced Joni finds Ant via a dating app, neither is entirely honest about who they are. I've read - and loved - ALL of Jane Fallon's books, but Just Got Real is her best yet! The plotting is as ingenious and entertaining as ever but this book has a lot of WARMTH and HEART. It's especially gorgeous on female friendship." - Marian Keyes Jane is known as the revenge queen, but I really think the dialogue queen is more fitting, because the dialogue is truly masterful in this book. Jane's skillful use of razor sharp dialogue really brings every character to life, and makes the scenes so vivid. The story is perfectly paced, and you are guided effortlessly through the chapters.

Although this book ended up being a tad more on the juvenile side then I was initially expecting, I really found myself enjoying it. I applaud the fact that Sadie Robertson chose to write a beautiful novel for younger teen girls that focuses on the importance of friendship, and being genuine to everyone around you. While there is undoubtedly a romance element present in the story, the majority of the focus is on Kate and AJ themselves, and the journey they embark on when the opportunity to be featured on a reality show emerges. It's clear Robertson drew upon her own experiences with "reality" TV to infuse this book with plenty of experiences that only an insider would know. The story has the obligatory teen romance, but it's all clean and it's not gratuitous. It fits in well with the story and all the main characters seem like teens one might meet in their everyday life.

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This book had me absolutely gripped from the word go and i loved following the main characters Joni's experiences with the online dating world. Joni joined the world of online dating to help fill a huge void in her life after her best friend Meg passed away. She came across Ant who treated her like the queen and wined and dined her in the nicest of places and she fell for him instantly. Ant created this life that he owned several high class wellness clinics throughout London, that he lived in a multi million valued house, and had a perfect family with a wife whom he recently divorced and his too children. Life Just Got Real focuses on two teen girls who are very different from one another. While the wealthy and cultured Katie is used to public scrutiny, AJ is new to any attention outside of her family. When both girls are approached to be the stars of a new reality series, however, neither is too thrilled with the idea. With all that being said, as I viewed an ARC, I'm not sure what has changed between what I have read and the synopsis that is posted as of the date of my review. It discusses Kate's brother Val (not his name in the version I read), and the two of them going to summer camp together. Again, that did not happen in the version I read. Would be interested to read what type of camp both of them would attend together.

A smart and funny look at the pitfalls of online dating. It provides laugh-out-loud moments . . . I've read all Jane Fallon's books! -- ADELE PARKS * SUN * Joni daren't confess her lie. Yet unable to stop thinking about what might have been, she hatches a plan to 'meet' Ant in real life without revealing who she really is.

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Id like to thank @michaeljbooks @tandemcollectiveuk and @janefallon2 for giving me the opportunity to be part of this readalong. Witty, funny, beautifully written and dotted with life's truths like sprinkles on a birthday cake CATHY KELLY But when they meet in real life, they fall for each other. Soon they are a happy, steady item. Until Joni discovers Ant is still on the app, still dating other women . . . Your writing makes the world a brighter place, [Jane Fallon]. Just Got Real is an absolute joy JOANNA CANNON