Sara Rider gave me so many reasons to fall for Clementine and Jake. Real Kind of Love is a knock your socks off kind of subtle. I fell in love with the individuals before I gave my heart to the couple. Their story is about stepping out of the fantasy and facing a new kind of reality. Clem is used to rooting around in fictional worlds full of otherworldly creatures, but when it comes to the idiosyncrasies of love and lust, she's at a lost. Jake spends his hardest moments in the real world. Can clueless Clem teach him what it means to dream again? Real Kind of Love is a sweet escape into the arms of heartwarming romance.

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Real Kind of Love by Sara Rider
Book #1: Books and Brews Series
Source: Purchase
My Rating: 3/5 stars

Jake Donovan has given everything to his baby, the Holy Grale brewpub! His time, energy, money, and effort have all gone into his work leaving no time for relationships. For Jake, the sacrifice has been absolutely worth it when he sees the faces of happy customers and a bottom line that doesn’t suck. What’s more, after a disastrous long-term relationship that ended in anger, hurt feelings, and a broken engagement, Jake isn’t sure he has it in him to be a good partner to anyone.

Since the day the Holy Grale opened, Jake’s world has been the front end, serving customers, filling orders, getting to know his regulars, and generally building the business. Among his favorite customers is Clementine Cox, a nerdy, low maintenance customer who always sits in the same spot, always orders the same beer, and always has her nose buried in a book. Though she isn’t the most talkative of customers, she and Jake have had a conversation or two, enough for Jake to know she’s intelligent, kind, and someone he may want to know a bit better. You know, if he were the dating kind.

Jake has no intention of acting on his inclinations toward Clementine until the day she announces her home has been burgled and she needs a fake boyfriend!

Clementine loves her time at the Holy Grale. The beer is excellent, the atmosphere is just right for working, and the customers and staff are completely welcoming and friendly. The bartender, Jake Donovan is especially kind and absolutely steps up to the plate when her world comes crashing down. Between the burglary and her completely overbearing and overprotective family, Clementine needs a break. Intent on getting away from the madness and completing her current project, Clementine announces a week away at the lake. When her family insists on joining her, she further announces it’s meant to be a romantic getaway.

Now, all Clementine has to do is find a boyfriend . . . .

The week at the lake is unlike anything Jake or Clementine saw coming. Clementine’s family is completely crazy, Jake is taking his role as fake boyfriend seriously, and Clementine’s head is swimming and her hormones are raging. Though she is normally very quiet, Jake gets Clementine to open up and what he finds is a naughty, witty, utterly intelligent mind wrapped in a sexy package. Clementine finds Jake’s commitment to his role endearing and his ability to handle the madness of her family stupefying. No man has ever stepped up for Clementine like Jake has and within days the lines between friendship and lovers is blurred.

The Bottom Line: I’m just going to put it right out there: if it weren’t for Clementine’s family, this book would have easily been a 4½ to 5 star read for me! In many instances, I can overlook a single obnoxious character, but an entire family was more than I could take. EVERY member of Clementine’s family rubbed me the wrong way and made it hard for me to completely enjoy this book. With that out of the way, the moments between Clementine and Jake, both at the lake and at the Holy Grale were my favorite moments and I found it so easy to root for them as a couple. What I especially enjoyed were all of Clementine’s quirks and idiosyncrasies which Jake totally accepted and learned to work with because of his feelings for Clementine. Of the two, Jake showed the most growth as a human being and character and that growth was a completely natural and believable response to his time with Clementine. With the exception of Clementine’s family, I adored this book: Jake and Clementine, the sweet, sexy moments, the witty dialogue, and especially the unique setting of the Holy Grale. It’s on to book two, Make Me Fall for another round of good beer, good characters, and good story. ( )

Clementine Cox, audiobook narrator, has always felt like the odd one out of her larger than life family. They mean well, but they always meddle in Clem’s life setting her up on dates with guys she has absolutely no connection with. Clem has had enough of their over the top schemes and decides to get away for the week in a tiny cabin by the lake where she can relax and work on the audio of a book she has been having a tough time narrating. When you are shy and an introvert, it’s tough mastering the technique of sounding sexy when it comes to the steamier side of romance. Imagine her surprise, when her family decides maybe they should all take a vacation together and join Clem. So what is a girl to do under these circumstances? Create a fake boyfriend in hopes that her family will back off and let her have the peace she is seeking. Unfortunately for Clem, her lie backfires and now her family is more determined than ever to meet her “boyfriend.”

Jake Donovan, brewpub owner, has known Clementine for three years. She has been a customer at the pub and has been coming in daily ordering the same food and brew each time she comes in. Clem is a staple in the bar and even though they aren’t close enough to be considered great friends, Jake really likes the shy bookworm. Although lately, he has been having thoughts about Clem in a not so friendly way and doesn’t understand why he feels some sort of connection to her. Jake does not consider himself boyfriend material, but when he is mistaken as Clem’s boyfriend by her meddling sisters, he throws caution to the wind and decides to play the part saving Clem from having to admit to her family that she was lying about having a boyfriend.

The vacation is only for a week. What could possibly go wrong?

Anyone who knows me knows me knows that the fake boyfriend/girlfriend trope in romance is absolutely one of my favorites. So, I was more than thrilled once I set in to read Real Kind of Love. I just knew that this story was going to be great and I am happy to say that it exceeded all of my expectations. I was hooked pretty much from the first page all the way to the end. The story is filled with laughter, heart, and a family that even I want to be a part of.

Clem is such an easy character to love and in a lot of ways relatable. She is a book worm, much like myself. She considers herself the black sheep of her family because she is introverted where they are full of life, laughter and love. She loves her family dearly, but they can be a bit much to handle. I love how she is shy and reserved even with Jake. Clem may fantasize about him when she is home alone, but she knows he would never go for someone like her. Jake, on the other hand, is confident and sexy and can get any woman he wants. He is the direct opposite of Clem in many ways. He is a workaholic and his brewpub means a lot to him. He, like Clem, feels as if he is the black sheep of his family, and he really does not have a close relationship with them. So, once he is taken into the fold of Clem’s family, he really eats it up because he has never had that in his life. Although he is enjoying his time away with Clem and her family, he knows he is not relationship material and even though he feels an attraction, he knows Clem would be better off without him.

I really love how Clem describes her family to Jake and getting to meet her family during a dinner with Clem, really makes me believe in the way she describes them. I just couldn’t help but laugh at her description.

“Picture a giant fluffle of rainbow-colored bunnies surrounding you in a group hug that never, ever ends. Ever. It’s so warm and cozy, you’d don’t even realize you’re being smothered to death.”

Her family was a hoot right down to her grandmother who was not shy in the slightest. You go, Grandma! Clem’s nieces really stole the show for me. They were so cute, charming and devious, just the way I imagine most six year olds are. This has to be one of the best families I have ever read in a book.

The romance was so sweet, believable and pretty darn hot. Things start to heat up sharing a tiny cabin with one bed and an uncomfortable looking couch. Sleeping next to each other has its perks, but can Jake keep his hands to himself or will his attraction to Clem get the better of him and open him up to a love like none other?

Real Kind of love is a heartwarming story that I devoured in a matter of hours. I was pretty sad when I came to the end as I wanted more of their story. Jake and Clem are wonderful characters and I enjoyed taking this journey to their HEA along with all the bumps, laughter, and thrills that made this charming story come to life. I can’t wait for the second book in the Books and Brews series to come out. I need more of these characters I have come to love. Real Kind of Love is well worth the five stars I have given it. So take a chance if you have not picked this book up yet. Sara Rider is a fabulous writer and really knows pull you right in with just the right mix of sweet and sexy that will have you hooked right from page one. ( )