Book Talk Review; Love In Real Life

This book is light, bright, and full of feel good-ness

Bookworm and book blogger Theodore Martin knows he could never love anything like he loves books – until George Charles walks into his family-owned bookstore one day and starts rewriting Theodore’s story, page by page.

George is smart and bookish and handsome, but after a past full of plot twists and disappointments, Theodore decided all his future love stories would be experienced solely within the pages of novels. That’s why he dedicated himself to his blog, Books in Real Life, and swore off romance forever. Until George appeared…

Will Teddy sabotage his new narrative and retreat into the safety of literature once again? Or will he step into reality long enough to finally let love unfurl in real life, and not just in a book?

“He loved me like a romance novel. The secrets in his eyes kept me up like mysteries. Each adventure with him was a thriller. Our nights together rivaled erotica. Every moment away from him was a weepie. But our love story? That was all real. For good, and for bad…” 

* 

I had an interesting experience while reading Love In Real Life. If you're a seasoned Book Talker then you know that I have a major connection to Seth King books. They just speak to me. This one spoke to me in so many ways I had to message my best friend at one point: "sometimes it's like seth sees inside my head...Like does he live in my brain?" She's not a reader so she doesn't really understand, but she knows me and what I've been through. 

While I say that books felt like "me" quite often, since I tend to gravitate toward the deeper stuff, it's usually only on a low level. However, I am completely serious with this one. So many of Teddy's feelings about love have matched with my own. I've actually said a few things he does in the book to a friend before. Maybe not in the same fashion, but the meaning is the same. And I can say that about George too. Some of his thoughts have matched my own, especially those on a deeper, introspective level. 

Teddy and George have issues. I'm just gonna put that out there. They are not perfect. They are the readers of the perfect guys, they are not perfect. And god that is refreshing. Flawed, real, true characters is so refreshing after reading one book after another where the guy is almost perfect except for a trait or two. 

So to have two guys, two flawed, insecure real people as the heroes? It was lovely, and refreshing. 

These characters were sweet, their story was perfect in all of its flawed glory. After Liberty (you can read my tangent on that book here) this story is a lighter, brighter, breath of fresh air. Yes it has some heavy shit (no I won't tell you what it is. However, I will say that I have made comments on my own real life experience: see my anniversary tangent where I get just a little too real with y'all.), but Seth makes it okay to talk about that sort of thing. He brings to light some real issues that faces our society. While most authors shy away, Seth isn't afraid to take it on. And it is so freaking relieving to know that there are books out there that I can turn to when I need them. 

I am a bookworm. Hard core. I have read one hundred and thirty-eight books so far this year. And I don't just read, I write and I blog, I do anything and everything that has to do with words. So to read a book about two bookworms who fall in love? Yeah, it was like reading about people I could hang out with. You know, if I left my house for more hours than it takes to go to school in the mornings. 

Now the question I'm sure you all want to know is: does this book have an HEA? I don't like revealing that information, because what purpose does that serve? I can tell you that I was a smiley fool at the end. And I only teared up a little bit. I pretty much figured out what and why the tears would come, I was expecting them, it's just never easy. 

Teddy's truth once revealed made me want to hug him and somehow make him feel better about life and love. Which is why I'm so glad that even in all his insecurities and issues George was there for him. 

George's truth runs a little deeper. It digs at your mind and your heart in a way that only Seth King can deliver. 

I wasn't expecting all that Love In Real Life is. I wasn't expecting it to be as light and feel good as it is. I wasn't expecting it to be as deep as it is (almost a lie. It's a Seth King book, I knew something would be there, just not how in depth it went). 

Love In Real Life is funny, it's sweet, it's love in it's flawed yet perfect glory. It's something that readers can connect and sympathize with because just like Teddy and George so many of us prefer the life we find in fiction than the one we find in reality. 

I felt good reading this book and that is all that matters, I think.

*Quote-

"If a book doesn't change you and make you want to be a better person and basically rearrange your whole life, it's not worth reading."  

"Some people read to escape. Some read to disappear. And some read to run." 

"We're usually the last ones to see ourselves clearly." 

"Life is a scar machine. The key is to just make sure you're getting hurt by the right person." 

"Life isn't about who we lose. It's about who we love."  

-Abri