This Time It's Real
Get ready to fall in love in this hilarious romcom about a girl who begins a fake relationship with the famous actor in her class, perfect for fans of Meg Cabot and Jenny Han, by New York Times bestselling author Ann Liang.
When seventeen-year-old Eliza Lin's essay about meeting the love of her life unexpectedly goes viral, her entire life changes overnight. Now she has the approval of her classmates at her new international school in Beijing, a career-launching internship opportunity at her favorite magazine...and a massive secret to keep.
Eliza made her essay up. She's never been in a relationship before, let alone in love. All good writing is lying, right?
Desperate to hide the truth, Eliza strikes a deal with the famous actor in her class, the charming but aloof Caz Song. She'll help him write his college applications if he poses as her boyfriend. Caz is a dream boyfriend -- he passes handwritten notes to her in class, makes her little sister laugh, and takes her out on motorcycle rides to the best snack stalls around the city.
But when her relationship with Caz starts feeling a little too convincing, all of Eliza's carefully laid plans are threatened. Can she still follow her dreams if it means breaking her own heart?
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Community Reviews
Well, well, well, brace yourselves for the rollercoaster ride that is This Time It's Real by Ann Liang, where fake relationships and viral essays collide in a whirlwind of teenage drama and deception.
Let's start with our protagonist, Eliza Lin, the mastermind behind the viral essay that catapults her into the limelight. She's your typical teenager with a not-so-typical problem: she's never been in love.
Enter Caz Song, the enigmatic heartthrob with a secret (because of course he has a secret). He agrees to play the part of Eliza's dreamy boyfriend in exchange for some college application ghostwriting. Talk about a match made in teenage heaven.
What ensues is a whirlwind of fake dates, handwritten notes passed in class (seriously, do people still do that?), and motorcycle rides to snack stalls (because apparently, that's what passes for romance these days).
But hold onto your seats, because as Eliza's web of lies grows ever more tangled, she starts to wonder if maybe, just maybe, there's a kernel of truth buried beneath all the fake relationship shenanigans. Cue the teenage angst and existential crises.
I’m not usually a fan of the fake dating trope, but this one seems to work.
Eliza’s character is pretty relatable - the classic lonely girl with zero self-confidence who overthinks everything. Caz was the stereotypical hot teen actor who hides his true self from the public. However, the tension between the two and their insecurities were the hook that kept me reading straight through to the end.
So grab your popcorn, settle in for some witty dialogue and improbable plot twists, and prepare to be thoroughly entertained by the antics of Eliza and Caz as they navigate the treacherous waters of teenage romance and deception. Sure, it's as predictable as a sunrise, but hey, sometimes you just need a good ol' fashioned guilty pleasure read to escape the banality of real life.
Let's start with our protagonist, Eliza Lin, the mastermind behind the viral essay that catapults her into the limelight. She's your typical teenager with a not-so-typical problem: she's never been in love.
Enter Caz Song, the enigmatic heartthrob with a secret (because of course he has a secret). He agrees to play the part of Eliza's dreamy boyfriend in exchange for some college application ghostwriting. Talk about a match made in teenage heaven.
What ensues is a whirlwind of fake dates, handwritten notes passed in class (seriously, do people still do that?), and motorcycle rides to snack stalls (because apparently, that's what passes for romance these days).
But hold onto your seats, because as Eliza's web of lies grows ever more tangled, she starts to wonder if maybe, just maybe, there's a kernel of truth buried beneath all the fake relationship shenanigans. Cue the teenage angst and existential crises.
I’m not usually a fan of the fake dating trope, but this one seems to work.
Eliza’s character is pretty relatable - the classic lonely girl with zero self-confidence who overthinks everything. Caz was the stereotypical hot teen actor who hides his true self from the public. However, the tension between the two and their insecurities were the hook that kept me reading straight through to the end.
So grab your popcorn, settle in for some witty dialogue and improbable plot twists, and prepare to be thoroughly entertained by the antics of Eliza and Caz as they navigate the treacherous waters of teenage romance and deception. Sure, it's as predictable as a sunrise, but hey, sometimes you just need a good ol' fashioned guilty pleasure read to escape the banality of real life.
"So many things lie on the other side of fear. Like love."
I'll start by saying this much: this is my first time reading an Ann Liang novel, but it will most definitely not be the last.
As a writer myself, any and all main characters passionate about the art of writing flood my chest with a hope that I can't explain. Eliza, in her own annoying, teenager, romance-protagonist way, won me over like that. It's so interesting to be able to get a glimpse of the life of this fictional, 'made up' character whose every trait is so different from mine and yet understand the passion for writing and the validation it comes with it is so universal amongst authors. It felt like reading a diary, in a clever, charming way. Her self-doubts and insecurities, if dared to be seen as two separate things, spoke very clearly to me, and although I couldn't share some of them, especially because I'm older than the main character, I could still relate to her, and I think that's the highest form of praise I can give.
Caz Song is everything you expect him to be and a little more afterward. He reads like a love interest that has a real personality, real aspirations, and a life outside of being simply 'a love interest', which is not direct criticism to anyone but could very well apply to many of the books I unfortunately find myself reading. Caz is refreshing, attractive, and utterly convincing. He is one of those male leads you read about and go, 'yes. I understand why she's in love with you. I would be too.'
The other characters were also lovely, especially their families, with all of their flaws. The insights on the possibility of reconciliation, on believing others and even on finding what truly signifies 'home' to you--everything's just handled incredibly well.
One star less than I would've liked to rate because I felt like we could've gotten more AFTER the conflict was already solved, if only to have an opportunity to feel that same giddiness from halfway through the novel but without the problems weighing down this time. Aside from that, one INCREDIBLY pleasurable read.
I'll start by saying this much: this is my first time reading an Ann Liang novel, but it will most definitely not be the last.
As a writer myself, any and all main characters passionate about the art of writing flood my chest with a hope that I can't explain. Eliza, in her own annoying, teenager, romance-protagonist way, won me over like that. It's so interesting to be able to get a glimpse of the life of this fictional, 'made up' character whose every trait is so different from mine and yet understand the passion for writing and the validation it comes with it is so universal amongst authors. It felt like reading a diary, in a clever, charming way. Her self-doubts and insecurities, if dared to be seen as two separate things, spoke very clearly to me, and although I couldn't share some of them, especially because I'm older than the main character, I could still relate to her, and I think that's the highest form of praise I can give.
Caz Song is everything you expect him to be and a little more afterward. He reads like a love interest that has a real personality, real aspirations, and a life outside of being simply 'a love interest', which is not direct criticism to anyone but could very well apply to many of the books I unfortunately find myself reading. Caz is refreshing, attractive, and utterly convincing. He is one of those male leads you read about and go, 'yes. I understand why she's in love with you. I would be too.'
The other characters were also lovely, especially their families, with all of their flaws. The insights on the possibility of reconciliation, on believing others and even on finding what truly signifies 'home' to you--everything's just handled incredibly well.
One star less than I would've liked to rate because I felt like we could've gotten more AFTER the conflict was already solved, if only to have an opportunity to feel that same giddiness from halfway through the novel but without the problems weighing down this time. Aside from that, one INCREDIBLY pleasurable read.
"This Time It's Real" by Ann Liang is an enjoyable young adult read. The book had a wholesome feeling. The main character, Eliza Lin, was relatable, and her journey of self-discovery was intriguing.
The plot is engaging and interesting, but there were a few times when it felt a bit too predictable. Despite this, it is a a light and enjoyable read with themes of first love and self-discovery. There were moments where the situations Eliza Lin found herself in felt a little too perfect, but this didn't detract too much from my overall enjoyment of the book.
In summary, "This Time It's Real" is a young adult fiction novel that is likeable, wholesome, albeit not always believable, but then again, I'm too old and too cynical to be the right demographic.j
The plot is engaging and interesting, but there were a few times when it felt a bit too predictable. Despite this, it is a a light and enjoyable read with themes of first love and self-discovery. There were moments where the situations Eliza Lin found herself in felt a little too perfect, but this didn't detract too much from my overall enjoyment of the book.
In summary, "This Time It's Real" is a young adult fiction novel that is likeable, wholesome, albeit not always believable, but then again, I'm too old and too cynical to be the right demographic.j
immediate hands down a favorite book of mine, DEFINITELY !!!! and i’m pretty sure the fact i finished this book in one day (for a procrastinator like me heh) really says a lot already, hehe.
literally nothing to say except that ann liang is easily my top 3 writers now, and that moment i saw This time it’s real in the bookstore by Ann Liang I immediately rushed to pick it up 😭🫶 I’m so in love with her books (especially this book especially Caz Song :)) it’s unreal ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ definitely giving more than 5 stars for this I got diabetes and probably my fever was cured from this. from laughing !!! this book literally provided me all the serotonin I needed T_T and it was a sick day for me yesterday, so I can safely say that this book was the sole medicine I needed (figuratively) <33
kicking my legs up in the air every time I will reread this (which I most definitely will!) <3
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