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Title: For Real

Subtitle: The Courage, Book 3

Author: Staci Stallings

Narrator: Becky Doughty

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 18 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-15-14

Publisher: Staci Stallings

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 14 votes

Genres: Romance, Religious & Inspirational

Publisher's Summary:

Blaine Donovan has a secret, but so far his plan to keep the rest of the world in the dark about who he really is and what's really going on in his life has worked. If he can just finish school before the demons catch up with him, he knows he can make life make sense once again. However, when he runs into Melody Todd, a semi-friend he had thought was long-gone, life takes a turn Blaine wasn't at all expecting. Still hurting from watching her best friend marry someone else, Melody Todd has given up on dating, guys, and herself. In fact, when Blaine shows back up in her life, she does what she always does with the eligible guys who look her way-she sets him up with someone else. But Blaine soon proves to be much different than he at first seems. Too many things are not adding up the way they are supposed to, and the more Melody digs, the more she sees that the Blaine she knows is not the real Blaine at all...

Members Reviews:

4 stars: For Real by Staci Stallings

Blaine juggles work, school, and taking care of his mother and brother, and on top of it all, tries to maintain a false front of cocky wealth; Melody, who maintains her own mask, is the first person to make him want to be honest.

Best bits: When we meet Blaine earlier in the series, he comes across as an arrogant rich dude--which, it turns out, is more or less his goal. Like Melody, I like him a lot more when I learn the truth about his difficult life. I love how he is drawn to the words of God in the Bible and in sermons, and finds his priorities and goals shifting. Melodyâs eating disorder is painful to watch, but seeing Blaine and AJâs concern and care for her is touching. Some very good lessons in self-image (how God and genuine friends see us is vastly more important than how we see ourselves) and honesty. Several rather good sermons in the latter half of the book.

Issues: Lots of typos and formatting errors (weird paragraph and section breaks, and thoughts, memories, and Bible verses that really should be italicized). Definitely needs some polishing. Not sure this book would stand alone very well, with it being such a continuation of stories from the previous books. Dylan is said to be 10, but in second grade--say what? Second graders are typically 7 or 8; 10-year-olds are in 4th or 5th grade. If he was held back a few years, that should be mentioned, but it doesnât seem likely, as eager as he is to learn. On the whole, he acted more like a second grader than a 10-year-old. He also is apparently a super deep sleeper, sleeping through a number of animated discussions in the car, and the whole craziness of the night his mom is found dead. There is more drinking than I am totally comfortable with, but no drunkenness from our main heros. Also, when is this supposed to be? They take online classes, but absolutely no one uses cell phones, so Iâm not sure what year/alternate universe that indicates.

For Real

I loved this story. In fact I think I liked it better than previous 2 and I loved them.

Melody was a great character. I found myself cheering for her. I could relate a lot to the struggles she was dealing with. I liked her spunkiness.

I wasn't sure what to think about Blaine when introduced to him in the second book. I was pleasantly surprised he was going to be the hero of the third book. I can't imagine how difficult his home life was with his drug addicted mom.