The Real Deal

I spent the weekend trying to wrap my mind around this one. Then I over-analyzed it until I had one whopper of a throbbing headache. (You'll see below why I had such a hard time with this one.) Like East, I am still wavering between 3 and 3.5 stars.Excuse me as I dive right in I like Simon. I can relate to Simon. In fact, my hubby IS a Simon. Whenever Simon got a brilliant idea and then absentmindedly left a conversation or meeting to work on said idea, I would giggle. Do you have any idea how [...]

Amanda Zachary came to Simon Brant's house to talk the reclusive, scientific genius into agreeing to a merger with her employing company, and ends up falling in love. Divorced for two years, and not desirous of marrying again after her husband destroyed every inch of her belief in herself as a woman, she doesn't expect for Simon Brant to inspire such powerful sexual feelings in her. Although he's absent-minded, prone to going off in his lab when she's in the middle of giving her presentation, he [...]

I’m wavering between a 3-3.5 star rating for this one because I didn’t really like it. There’s too much repetition (especially with the hero’s “gunmetal grey eyes"—total overkill with that description) and too many “extremes” –so beautiful, so perfect, so incredible—which gets repeated over and over again as if the author didn’t really know what else to say. Simon was too weird to be likeable for me. Yes he was supposed to be “different” from other guys because he’s a [...]

Reviewed for thcreviews"4.5 stars" The Real Deal was a sweet, engaging love story that was imbued with a healthy dose of realism, but still managed to stay within the bounds of romantic fantasy that all readers of the genre seem to love. I really enjoyed how Lucy Monroe took two people with low self-esteem, due in part to failed relationships of the past, and helped them to grow and change by finding the perfect mate in each other. Although I don't believe I have previously read any romance nove [...]

I'd say I'm wavering in between 3 and 3.5 stars. Good romance, hunky hero. Never knew a computer geek could be that hot. Great premise of man being buried in his work and forgetting about the world around him . . . so much so that he lives on an island. My taking away of stars is due to the fact that the way they get together is a little out there. I mean, moving into his house to convince him of a business merger? That kind of insulted my intelligence. The heroine is huge, and I mean HUGE on wo [...]

I didn't really know what to expect from this one, but it was recommended to me, so I picked it up. What fun! It was a pleasant, very fast-moving romance with great characters. Amanda has been emotionally abused, but she has built a strong career and is now working on her biggest deal. Unfortunately, Simon is opposing the proposed merger. Their interactions become closer and closer as she presses. Their feelings become involved, and they find that their attraction outweighs the situation. It was [...]

As it precedes the action involving Jillian in Goddard Project, 2 who is best friends with Amanda in this particular story, I'd have to rate this as a Goddard Project, 1.5.Sweet, cute romance. Very closely follows the story idea in Emma Holly's Strange Attractions but without the intense, kinky sex. This one involves Amanda's idea of a computer company merger with which Eric agrees but genius-loner Simon is vehemently against.

It's a romantic comedy with lots of sexual tension and the occasional sheet melting scene. The hero is a 'you go to the lab and the next time you notice it's Tuesday' genius - the heroine is a businesswomen with an emotionally abusive past. She is sent to talk him into agreeing to a corporate merger he doesn't want. He wants another type of merger entirely. Great characters, good plot, funny, sexy and witty.

An easy read from Lucy Monroe.This felt like an extended Harlequin Presents/Milla & Boone uncut. Given that Ms. Monroe is a writer for that particular category, it comes as no surprise.I liked that the happy, perky cover belied an angst ridden tale. Don't be fooled into thinking this would be light hearted chick lit that would gloss over the heroine's emotions. No, this is an in-depth prodding that gets you to understand the Hero and heroine.It's a good, satisfying read.

This book really surprised me. I had no idea how much I would enjoy it. I have read one or two other Monroe books I think, but this one was really good. I loved the relationship build up and the characters. The quirky Simon was a great character and I actually liked Amanda too. This book has made me want to read more Monroe books.

The writing in this book was soooo cheesy I read the first 50 cringe worthy pages, then started skimming, then just gave up altogether when I realized that I could care less about what happened between the characters.

I couldn't get passed the sample.

One of my favoritesI love this book!!!! It starts out fun and angry but ends fun and happy. It is my feel good book that I like to read when I am down. Especially about my weight. It tells you to love yourself.

Registered on Bookcrossing: bookcrossing/journal/6This book has it all: hot romance, real interesting characters, humor, and love.

Whenever i read a book, i always had a dictionary nearby, just in case i come across a word i am not familiar with. I even installed a dictionary app on both my phone and tablet, for the same purpose. Most of the time, i only had to check a certain word's definition once or twice, and sometimes, not even at all. The Real Deal was a different experience. Insouciance, sangfroid, laconic -- I was stumped at these words. It was the first time i read irascible, another word for irritable (which is mo [...]

Amanda and Simon a love storyAmanda is a corporate negoatiator, with a 5 year plan to the youngest executive an unwanted, late pregancy of her parentes, unwanted/ignored growing up she married a lawyer her brother introduced her to and found a measure of acceptance with her family, but her husband was cruel, rejected her sexually, criticized her looks, and hehad myriad affairs - which she stayed 'dumb' about, until she went to surprise him at work and found him in a menagie a troi with an unknow [...]

The Real Deal by Lucy Monroe The most important thing in Amanda's life is negotiating a successful merger between her company and Brant Computers, a family-held competitor. Company president Eric Brant is on board with the idea, but when Amada arrives in Eric's office, it is his cousin Simon Brant who greets her—and Simon is anything but agreeable. Squaring off against the sexy, brilliant, sexy, obstinate, sexy, eccentric, not to mention sexy Simon is completely frustrating—and a total turn- [...]

This is essentially a Harlequin Style novel without the label. It reads very much like one, with all the drama, angst and needless miscommunications. This was however, very enjoyable to me and that's why I rate it so highly. I like the Hero Simon. Even though he comes across as inconsiderate, antisocial and bossy, he's a geek to the core and therefore a great Hero. The heroine, Amanda, was a touch irritating, but nothing overboard - she came out of a bad relationship with some serious self-estee [...]

I think I will be unfair to this book After reading too many books of this genre (I'd prefer to call it the 200-pages-of-sexual-tension-and-nothing-else genre) I think I can close the book at page 25 and tell you exactly how it will all go down (and who will go down on whom, for that matter).This type of books is too general, too impersonal, too stereotypical, too predictable, definitely too much of all the wrong qualities. Lucy Monroe, Lori Foster, Susan Donovan, all authors who have failed, in [...]

Amanda was mentally abused by her husband and not wanted by her family. So she swore off men. She concentrated on her career. She is in Washington state pushing a merger. Only she had no idea she was going to be meeting her match. Simon wanted no part of the merger. It was a family company and he wanted it to stay that way. Then Amanda walks through the door and he is sucker punched. To Simon she is the most beautiful woman he has ever met. Amanda's hormones woke up the minute she saw Simon. It [...]

"We may not fit in with the rest of the world, but we belong together."ONE REALIZTION AFTER READING THE BOOK: I really need to start reading again those books I did not finish in the past just because they didn't entertain after a few pages.I once gave up on 'The Real Deal' after reading like 10 pages because I thought I wouldn't like the rest of it since the first few pages failed to get me sucked in to the story. But, then I'm thankful that I decided to read it again because it was really quit [...]

This book was an enjoyable readybe even a 3.5 - fairly quick, some funny bits and a nice love story with slightly unconventional characters. I originally picked it up because it was on a list for a plus size heroine but really she had some curves and maybe 10ish pounds to lose to be "normal" but she wasn't plus. She did have some of the body image hang ups that come with others telling you that you are overweight not exactly what I had hoped for when I picked it up but still interesting to get b [...]

Having enjoyed Lucy Monroe's steamy mercenary trilogy, I tried something different by the same author. Billed like a "Spencer Tracy-Katherine Hepburn/Doris Day-Rock Hudson movie but with plenty of steam" it sounded like an updated version of the old romantic comedies that are many people's guilty pleasures.Lucy Monroe writes many "billionaire/playboy/sheik and pregnant mistress/secretary" Harlequins that I haven't enjoyed since my teenage romance period many, many years ago. This isn't one of th [...]

3 stars.It was fine, with interesting supporting characters, some of whom will return in Deal With This (Mercenary/Goddard Project, #7) .Good introduction for newcomers to Lucy Monroe.

Amanda is sent to negotiate a merger with Brant Computers. Simon is a genius ( sort of an absent minded professor )and part owner of Brant Computers. He doesn't want the merger. Amanda has some self esteem issues and Simon is socially awkward. He gets lost in his work and won't surface for days. So she decides to stay with him until she can present him with all the facts and figures. But he's been attracted to her from the moment he saw her. Great story. Loved Simon. Only thing was she used some [...]

I have never in my entire life NOT finished a book. until this one. It was just awful. This was a while ago, and luckily I don't remember much of it, but for me to not finish a book, it means it is BAD. I read the first couple chapters, TRIED to give it a chance, and it just got worse. It just became too hard to force myself to continue reading. Definitely not a fan.

I really enjoyed this. The character of Simon who is so eccentric and odd because he's genius and he lives in a world of his own. However different he is, he's still a red blooded man that wants a woman of his own. The conflict is the woman is one that is trying to convince him to merge his company with the one she works for. All in all, it's a great book and you really root for the characters.

Great book, excellent read. This is my first book by Lucy Monroe and I was delighted with it. Well written and engaging. I actually got it free by answering a survey in her newsletter. I'm definitely going to purchase her new book "Wild Heat".

Good book, but the Kindle edition (as of 1/19/11) is missing paragraphs if not more. Suddenly, the scene will shift to something new and it's obvious that the transitional text is not there. Very frustrating. I returned for a refund, and may re-buy if they get the problem fixed.

This book has been on my to-read for some time. Yesterday I was looking through my books on my kindle and I found this, apparently I've read it I don't remember much about it, that says something I think!?