Mr. Real (Code of Shadows, #1)

Nov 03, 2012 Regina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorite-authors, first-in-series, romantic-suspense, paranormal-pnr, mystery, arc-publisher-netgalley, romance, favorites, will-continue-series

I absolutely loved this book. PNRish type books (and this is not quite PNR) are hit or miss for me. This book, was a complete hit. Well developed and likable characters, charming setting, laughable but scary villain and a nice surprise at the ending. Oh and it is a sweet romance (with steam!).

This book is good. It is really good. I am always worried about a new series by an author that I am already a fan of, particularly when it is a genre switch. But I shouldn’t have been worried. Carolyn Cran...more I absolutely loved this book. PNRish type books (and this is not quite PNR) are hit or miss for me. This book, was a complete hit. Well developed and likable characters, charming setting, laughable but scary villain and a nice surprise at the ending. Oh and it is a sweet romance (with steam!).

This book is good. It is really good. I am always worried about a new series by an author that I am already a fan of, particularly when it is a genre switch. But I shouldn’t have been worried. Carolyn Crane wrote an amazing story. Mr. Real is fun from the beginning to the end. It is unique, a completely different take on romance, suspense, spy, mystery and the paranormal. But I feel like I am not capturing the true interesting quality. Let me start with the lead, Alix. When we meet Alix she is contemplating a quick hook up, fixing up an old Victorian, and feeling kind of left behind in life. She is not afraid of her sexuality, she is not an innocent (thank goodness, I hate that storyline ….) but she uses her sexuality to reinforce her self-esteem. Alix is fun, slightly unconventional but sensitive.

The setting of the story is a small town in Minnesota where everyone seems to know everyone else and in an old Victorian formerly inhabited by an alleged witch. Through some crazy but interesting black magic, Alix is able to bring to life anything she wishes by clicking on an image on her bewitched computer. So what does she conjure? Jewelry, clothes … and a commercial character played by a man she used to be interested in.

“Lucky this powerful magic didn’t fall into the hands of somebody who would use it merely for her own self-gratification.”

At first, Alix is thrilled but soon she realizes that she is not in control of everything she has conjured and things begin to spin out of control for her. Beginning with the fictional character come to life having his own plans, the arrival of the actor (her former love interest) who plays the fictional character and some other fun but unexpected stuff. During the unwinding of the tale, Crane slowly builds her characters and develops them for her readers. There are some books that I close and walk away from never to think of the characters again — even if I enjoyed the story. While Mr. Real is a fun and light story, the characters felt real to me. They seem to have a life off of the pages, I can see Alix drinking beer and taking care of her B&B — basically just living her life. That was the gift of this story, the characters.

Another gift of this story is the humor. There are so many quotable and laugh out loud sections. Even if this story didn’t have a unique storyline and memorable characters (which it does), it would be worth reading just because of the humor:

“Apparently a fictional, two-dimensional man makes the ideal party guest.”

“Go for it! Yay! Fuck him! A little voice inside her yelled.”

Mr. Real does not involve a murder mystery or a theft. There are no vamps on the loose or rogue weres to track down. Not that I am knocking that sort of paranormal, but it is really nice to read something new. This is paranormal in a completely new manner. If you have read Crane’s Disillusionist series, then you already know that Crane approaches fantasy from a perspective other authors are not. If you have not read her Disillusionist series, well I am not sure what else to say except - read it!

I cannot wait to read the next installment in this series. (I say this with love and appreciation …… ) Hurry up Ms. Crane!
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Nov 07, 2012 Suzanne the Mighty ~Satin Seductress~ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: author-carolyn-crane, romance, alert-knicker-wettingly-hawt-cover, best-of-the-best-2012, couple-made-in-heaven, magic, pdf-kindle, paranormal-romance, quirky, rake-man-whore, sweeter-than-honey, time-or-dimension-travel, netgalley-arc

Everyone knows that Alix is a good time gal who just wants to have fun and doesn't take anything seriously, so when loads an occult computer programme on to laptop that materialises anything you click on in 24 hours time, she decides to do a little shopping....a nice new necklace, a new outfit and a new man! Sir Kendall, a super spy from a liquer advert is just what she needs, someone to take charge and bonk her brains out and who just happens to look like the man she has a huge crush on. Paul R...more

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Nov 25, 2012 AH rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-in-series, romantic-suspense, arcs-other, alpha-males, paranormal, read-nov-2012, spies

4.5 stars - Witty, original, fun, entertaining.

Mr. Real has got to be one of the more entertaining and fun books I've read this year. And one of the most original. So original, I'm not exactly sure if it qualifies as a paranormal romance or a romantic suspense book. It doesn't really matter. Read Mr. Real, it's good.

Mr. Real takes the idea of things just being a mouse click away and expands on it. What if you could click on an image, save it to desktop and presto! the item mysteriously appears...more

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Oct 28, 2012 BamaGal rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, arc-from-author

Well, Crane said it would be different from anything she's written, and she was right. This story almost defies any type of description. If you've read the authors 'Disillusionists' series, this story is very much in the same vein; and will appeal to you. If you've never read Crane's work, this is a good place to start, but be warned; it really is different and a bit freaky.

Alix Gordon inherits an old home from a recently deceased aunt, and discovers that her aunt knew a magical way to bring pic...more Well, Crane said it would be different from anything she's written, and she was right. This story almost defies any type of description. If you've read the authors 'Disillusionists' series, this story is very much in the same vein; and will appeal to you. If you've never read Crane's work, this is a good place to start, but be warned; it really is different and a bit freaky.

Alix Gordon inherits an old home from a recently deceased aunt, and discovers that her aunt knew a magical way to bring pictures to life. Alix applies this theory to jpegs she finds on the computer. She orders herself various things, and then decides to go for the gold, and orders up a 'James Bond' type character from a liquor commercial that just happens to be played by a guy she used to know and have a thing for, Paul Reinhardt. Sir Kendall the super-agent shows up, and the action of bringing him to life draws Paul into the mix.

The first part of the book I really enjoyed, when Alix was first discovering how to use the magic she had found and was busy dreaming up and ordering some outlandish things. I must admit, Alix took a bit for me to warm up to. She was a bit of a 'free spirit' sexually, and was more than just a bit odd. Sir Kendall stayed pretty true to his character throughout. He never understood that he was in an alternate world from his own, and played the secret agent pretty much throughout. Paul I really liked. He was the most likable character in the book, and he really cared for Alix; coming through for her when she needed him the most.

The book was fast paced and fun, especially the first part of the book and the last part, when another big problem showed up for the trio to deal with. Good read, recommended if you are looking for something just a little off the beaten path. If you've read Crane's other work and liked it; you will especially appreciate this story.

Next up for the 'Code of Shadows' series --
The Mr. Real prequel novella in the anthology 'Fire and Frost' (early 2013)
Friar Jack (CoS #2)
Derangerous (CoS #3)

ARC provided by Carolyn Crane.(less)

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Nov 04, 2012 Ioana rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult, fantasy, meh-heroine-hero, memoir, netgalley, paranormal, romance, urban-fantasy, should-ve-been-great-but-it-wasn-t, epic-author

Not to beat a dead horse, I've said this before, but it's hard to write anoriginalnovel. Want to write about vampires? Pft, take a number. Werewolves? Zombies? Witches? Mermaids or ghosts? Done, done and done.
Maybe you make your vampires resistant to sunlight or part of some religious sect. Maybe your zombies will be upstanding citizens with more common sense and brains than your regular human. Or, maybe, you go for something really original and novel and give your MC the ability to create..wood...more

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Nov 03, 2012 Bookie | The BookChick rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: conflicted, cr, just-meh, wanted-to-like-it, 3-star-read

My Rating: ★★★

Book Description:
He finds the girl of his dreams…with the secret agent of his nightmares.

Alix Gordon is a woman who doesn’t take life too seriously. What’s the fun in that? So when she stumbles across occult software that can bring any computer image to life, she conjures up lots of awesome outfits and accessories. And then, on one drunken, horny night, she conjures up Sir Kendall, the sexy TV ad spy . . . who looks exactly like Paul Reinhardt, the super-sexy martial arts teacher w...more

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Mar 04, 2013 DMS rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle

A manic pixie dream girl uses a magic computer to bring a fictional character to life (wait, what? That doesn't sound right at all. Let's start again).

A peach schnapps drinking super spy is on a mission to save the world by seducing enough women to figure out what his nemesis is up to. Sort of like James Bond, but not above torturing those he fails to seduce, and a lot more directly responsible for their eventual deaths (that sounds even more ridiculous. What's behind door number three?).

A man i...more A manic pixie dream girl uses a magic computer to bring a fictional character to life (wait, what? That doesn't sound right at all. Let's start again).

A peach schnapps drinking super spy is on a mission to save the world by seducing enough women to figure out what his nemesis is up to. Sort of like James Bond, but not above torturing those he fails to seduce, and a lot more directly responsible for their eventual deaths (that sounds even more ridiculous. What's behind door number three?).

A man is drawn to a small Midwestern town where he comes face to face with the demons of his past (oh, that's sounding like something I might read. Especially if he's a vampire. Or a space pirate. Please, please, please be a space pirate) which are a lot harder to defeat than the opponents he faces as an Ultimate Fighting Champion (WHAT THE FUCK?! I'm going back to the first one).

A manic pixie dream girl uses a magic computer to bring a fictional character to life because she's a little drunk and very horny.

Carolyn Crane is a hoot-and-a-half. She takes several silly sounding things and puts them together in a way that is so much fun I’m willing to overlook the many, many flaws. (Except for misspelling WYSIWYG. I would have let that pass as well if she hadn’t defined the acronym in the next sentence.) Plus, listing them would basically be rehashing the review I already wrote for Double Cross. Instead I’ll go with some new things to love.

Her heroine isn’t the sexiest, smartest, strongest, bravest, most bad-ass woman around who somehow has no sense of self worth. She’s actually not very bright. And rather irresponsible. And, well, normal. Sure, she’s got problems, but they don’t seem completely out of whack with who I’m supposed to think she is. She’s sort of like who Penny might be if Big Bang Theory didn’t take place in a universe where women are strictly forbidden from having geeky interests (seriously, ya’ll, they introduced a new character recently IN THE COMIC BOOK STORE and then made sure to have her say that she doesn’t even like comic books – fuck you Chuck Lorre. And fuck you, guy who recently told me I should be happy because women get to hold doctorates in that show … I could go on at length about this. Best stop now.).

A manic pixie dream girl uses a magic computer to bring a fictional character to life but he isn’t quite on the script she’s expecting.

In Crane’s mad world, a woman can compare her current situation to an episode of Star Trek. A woman can write and illustrate comics. (What kind of crazy, Bizarro World is this? I thought UF heroines only mentioned such things to mock them. The most positive thing I've seen one think in recent memory was that Firefly wasn’t as bad as expected.) A woman can think analytically and understand computer code. And something else great? Each of those is a different woman.

The POV rotates between the three characters, meaning that every so often we get to be in the head of the fictional character where things are really weird. And really fun. A whole book from his perspective would be too campy to finish, but the occasional glimpse is wonderful. The information asymmetry that drives the plot is delightful and there are actually reasons for characters to not share key pieces of information with each other. So the reader gets to enjoy just how much worse the situation is than any of the individual characters imagines, but Crane still throws in a few surprises that none of them could know about.

A manic pixie dream girl uses a magic computer to bring a fictional character to life, what could possibly go wrong?

There are places where this works so well I’m awed. There are places where this works so poorly that I’m embarrassed to have paid for this. There isn’t a genre I’m willing to classify this as. Which is too bad because if I knew what it was I could find more books like it.
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Nov 23, 2012 Kat Kennedy added it

Dear world:

How did I not know this book had come out by the super awesome wonder Crane?

WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?

Tell me next time, Kay?

Kat

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Nov 05, 2012 Katrina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

I got this book to review from NetGalley. This was such a fun, wacky read. The idea behind the story is very original. Alix inherits her geeky witch aunt's house and discovers a computer program that could materialize anything you want, all you have to do is submit a picture. And Alix decides to order Sir Kendall, a James Bond-ish fictional TV commercial character who looks exactly like Paul, the real-life hardass she has a crush on. Sir Kendall shows up on her doorstep being all romance man and...more I got this book to review from NetGalley. This was such a fun, wacky read. The idea behind the story is very original. Alix inherits her geeky witch aunt's house and discovers a computer program that could materialize anything you want, all you have to do is submit a picture. And Alix decides to order Sir Kendall, a James Bond-ish fictional TV commercial character who looks exactly like Paul, the real-life hardass she has a crush on. Sir Kendall shows up on her doorstep being all romance man and spy-ish and of course, the real-life Paul somehow discovers them together.

I was a bit creeped out at first. I just had this sense of foreboding that something bad was going to happen because Alix conjured up the fictional character. Half the time I was guessing if Sir Kendall was on the good side or not. It was fun to read about their thought processes too. Sir Kendall was a total spy in a completely fictional way. You'll get that he's really from a limited mindset where all he thinks of are plotting and scheming and drinking Denali. Alix wasn't that lovable a character. She was too fun loving in a happy go lucky way that she just doesn't think of the consequences of her actions. She's so impulsive that she just does what comes into mind without thinking first. Here she realizes what mayhem she's caused and tries to take responsibility for her actions. At the same time, she's nursing a long time crush on Paul, the martial arts teacher who kicked her out of class years ago. Now Paul, he's supposed to be a hottie. He is haunted by some demons and he tries to battle them away. Paul also carries a torch for Alix, but he pushed her away in order to stay focused on his career. I didn't like it much that his weaknesses were mostly borne out of fear. I guess it kind of made him less hot in my eyes. I also found the chemistry between Paul and Alix a bit lacking. I think it's the missing ingredient that would have made this a 5 star for me. I just didn't feel giddy happy to have them both in a scene. I was more interested in what would happen to Sir Kendall.

Overall, this is an enjoyable read. The plot is orginal, the pace is good, the tone is just light and fun even though there were some creepy aspects. The characters were realistic. If you're a fan of Carolyn Crane's Disillusionists Trilogy, then this might be something you would enjoy.

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Nov 20, 2012 Dia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Read other book reviews at Book Junkie Joint.

A steamy romance with seriously lovable characters!

Mr. Real is a real treat for fans of the Paranormal Romance genre! It isn't too heavy and doesn't dwell too much on the mystery aspect of the story, but it makes everything worthwhile come full circle.

Personally, the best thing about this book is Paul Reinhardt. He's an accomplished athlete, a completely virile male and a rising star of professional mixed martial arts fights, but there's also that par...more Read other book reviews at Book Junkie Joint.

A steamy romance with seriously lovable characters!

Mr. Real is a real treat for fans of the Paranormal Romance genre! It isn't too heavy and doesn't dwell too much on the mystery aspect of the story, but it makes everything worthwhile come full circle.

Personally, the best thing about this book is Paul Reinhardt. He's an accomplished athlete, a completely virile male and a rising star of professional mixed martial arts fights, but there's also that part of himself which he loathes to an unhealthy degree. It would be safe to say that the author has created a complex yet completely relatable character in Paul.

The heroine - Alix - on the other hand, is a completely different issue. She's stubborn, thick-headed and completely unreasonable. Within the first few chapters of the novel, I wanted to rip my hair off because of her. I mean, come on! If you have your closest friend and the rest of your family reminding you time and again of how much of a problem you are, then there's probably something wrong with you!

However, Alix is also pure-hearted. She is fiercely loyal to a fault and when push comes to shove, she could be counted on to do what's right. I guess, even if she is a little messed up and crazy, she's still a good girl. I admit that I didn't like her at the beginning, but as I read on, she just grew on me.

Oh, and worthy of mention is Sir Kendall, too! He's like James Bond on a completely different level of crazy. Plus, I really appreciated how the narrator allowed glimpses into how Sir Kendall's mind worked. In fact, throughout the story, the narrator gives glimpses of the different perspective of the main characters.

And just as I thought I've already figured how the story would end, a surprise twist involving a super villain is introduced into the storyline! It was awesome and definitely unique all on its own. While I understand that this story is predominantly a Paranormal Romance, the Mystery bit is such a pleasant surprise.

This is actually the first novel of Carolyn Crane that I've read, and I can't wait to read more of her works! I highly recommend this for readers who wish to read a Paranormal Romance novel that's unique and doesn't include the usual slew of paranormal characters (vampires, werewolves, witches, etc.).(less)

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Nov 18, 2012 Vickie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Review:

Alix never feels like she is enough. She feels like she is overshadowed by everyone, her over achieving sisters and her friends. She covers it up by hiding behind her “Crazy Alix” personality. And, she was devastated when Paul kicked her out of his martial arts class, and has pined away for him ever since. And, unbeknownst to her, he had also pined away for her.

The premise of this story is a solid one. Things were revealed about Paul’s traumatic childhood that should have enhanced the sto...more

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Nov 05, 2012 Donna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Alix Gordon has recently inherited a former hotel from her great aunt who was by all accounts a witch and a computer guru. Up to this point Alix hasn't taken life too seriously she leaves that for her sisters, her friend Karen and Hardass Paul (the sexy martial arts instructor who kicked Alix out of class because she refused to be serious). Now she plans to turn the House into a B&B. She finds out accidentally that her aunt had created a computer program that combined science and magic. If y...more

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Oct 31, 2012 Carien rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is an amazingly fun read!

I absolutely love Crane's Disillusionists trilogy, so when I got the offer to read and review her self-published book Mr. Real I jumped at the chance.

I love it!

Alix is such a great heroine. I fell in love with her from the start and could perfectly understand why she does the things that get her in trouble. And then there's Paul and Sir Kendall. I loved both of them and at times I was wondering which one of them I should root for. I also really wanted to drink Denal...more

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Oct 30, 2012 Juli rated it 5 of 5 stars

Carolyn Crane describes her new novel, Mr. Real, as “a paranormal romantic suspense spy tale mashup.” Which gives you an idea of how unusual the book is, but barely scratches the surface of how interesting and wonderful an experience it is. At least, that’s what I found.

Alix, the book’s heroine, is definitely difficult to love. (I liked her, but then I often enjoy heroines labelled “unlikeable” by other readers.) She is variously described as “free-spirited” (the author’s web site), “a woman who...more Carolyn Crane describes her new novel, Mr. Real, as “a paranormal romantic suspense spy tale mashup.” Which gives you an idea of how unusual the book is, but barely scratches the surface of how interesting and wonderful an experience it is. At least, that’s what I found.

Alix, the book’s heroine, is definitely difficult to love. (I liked her, but then I often enjoy heroines labelled “unlikeable” by other readers.) She is variously described as “free-spirited” (the author’s web site), “a woman who doesn’t take life too seriously” (the official book blurb), “unconventional” and “a wild-child” (quotes from other authors). She’s all of those things; she is also insecure, with low self esteem, and that goes a long way in explaining (not necessarily justifying) the immature behavior that I think some readers will find too annoying to get past. Which is unfortunate, because the beauty of this book for me is largely in Alix’s growth — as she gains a sense of self worth, she finds the strength to make better choices. She undergoes a metamorphosis that wouldn’t be possible if she hadn’t started out the way she does.

And then there’s Paul, the hero. A martial arts fighter, “Hardass Paul” (Alix’s nickname for him) has a complex past and a lot of baggage. He was having trouble keeping it hidden even before Alix started playing around with forces she didn’t really understand, but once she meddles, it becomes impossible for Paul to avoid facing his personal demons. But Alix turns out to be the key to Paul’s victory over his past; they help each other, and each makes the other stronger, which is the kind of romance I most appreciate.

This sounds like pretty serious stuff, and it is. This book deals in themes that are powerful and that rang very true to me, about how our childhood molds us, and how imprisoned we can be within our own limited view of who we are and what we’re capable of, and how the love of someone we admire and respect can be a key to seeing ourselves as being worthy of love and respect. But part of the joy of reading Mr Real is that it’s a crazy, fun plot, full of surprising twists and turns, so much so that you almost have to put the book down in places to really think through the emotional growth the characters are experiencing. Seriously, read the blurb: fictional characters brought to life! lookalikes with differing agendas! magic computers! It’s like a comic book in places, with way-out-there elements that eventually all make sense. I was in awe of Crane’s skill by the end of the book, because everything fit together so well.

I don’t think this book is for everybody (is any book?), but I loved it. I hope other readers interested in something different will give this book a try.(less)

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Nov 04, 2012 Pauline rated it 2 of 5 stars

2,5/5

Mr Real has an interesting and intriguing plot. Being able to summon everything you want with a magic computer could have been fun. And at first, it was. The main character, Alexis or "Alix", was fun and sassy. And then, she does the inevitable: she orders a fictional TV character from a liqueur ad, based on her former martial arts teacher, Paul, whom she liked a few years ago. Expect, she didn't expect the real thing to come to her too.

From that moment on, Alix turns out the be a dumb b***...more

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Nov 02, 2012 Madame X rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: brings-the-funny, charming-and-delightful, paranormal-urban-fantasy, romance-ends-with-hea-or-hfn

I'm going to keep this review short and sweet because I don't want to spoil too much of the plot. I was constantly surprised and charmed as I read - I'd been looking forward to MR. REAL for quite a while & I knew the basic idea, that the heroine orders up a fantasy man using a magical computer program, but the reality was nothing like I expected.

Here's what I can tell you: MR. REAL cracked me up. I was lying in bed late into the night and laughing out loud every page or two. For example: The...more

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Nov 05, 2012 Tk rated it 3 of 5 stars

As a fan of the Disillusionist series, it pains me to give this book a so-so review, but I just couldn't get into the main character. Anyone who's read Carolyn Crane's earlier series knows she has an amazing ability to create unusual, semi-tortured characters. In this book, Paul was a great example of this, and Sir Kendall was an interesting character as well. Unfortunately, Alix just wasn't very compelling to me. I kept waiting to find out circumstances from her youth that worked considering he...more

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Nov 19, 2012 Jen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: hell-yeah, the-best, will-re-read, i-will-be-in-my-bunk, loved-the-hero, loved-the-heroine

Pink haired Alix finds out that living in her spooky Victorian home (her aunt, a witch, bequeathed it to her) comes with perks. YA THINK? Real quick: So I have this thing about heroines with unnaturally colored hair in books, it just seems such a lazeballs way of projecting, “Wow! Look at her! She’s funky! She’s spunky! She’s different! She DA ONE!” Surprisingly, Crane Made It Work. Alix owned the hell out of her pink hair and tassled boots and skanky clothing. Go, Alix!

So it turns out if she s...more Pink haired Alix finds out that living in her spooky Victorian home (her aunt, a witch, bequeathed it to her) comes with perks. YA THINK? Real quick: So I have this thing about heroines with unnaturally colored hair in books, it just seems such a lazeballs way of projecting, “Wow! Look at her! She’s funky! She’s spunky! She’s different! She DA ONE!” Surprisingly, Crane Made It Work. Alix owned the hell out of her pink hair and tassled boots and skanky clothing. Go, Alix!

So it turns out if she saves a picture to her computer desktop and clicks on it enough? Shazam. It appears on her doorstep 24 hours later. Alix orders a necklace, some boots, a barrel (go with it) and some douchey James Bond wannabe character (Sir Kendall) from an Australian commercial who was played by a crush that was real mean to her one time but she can't stop thinking about him. Sir Kendall is all kinds of crazy. And then her crush Paul joins the party. Naturally, Paul is a LOT freaked out and his blend of vulnerability and strength (he's a fighter...swooooon) damn near killed me. Remember that scene when Alix opens the door and he’s standing on the porch all wild eyed?! Good Lord, the feelings.

Mr. Real kicked ass, ON THE REAL. Every time I read a paragraph or two I had to put my eReader down to laugh heartily. I really enjoyed it.

(view spoiler)

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Mar 31, 2013 Melinda rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: didn-t-finish-couldn-t-get-into, read-2013

NOTE UNFINISHED
I got this one a little bit impulsively, I didn't read a sample chap first, which turned out to be a mistake.
Everyone just seemed so excited about it, and a couple of reviewers opinions who have steered me in the right direction in the past were rating it well AND it was only $3 bought through my Kobo.
So I grabbed it and almost immediately regretted it.
I was looking for a funny urban fantasy romp with some deliciously creepy undertones - something I really enjoy but I often find i...more

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Dec 05, 2012 Jess the Romanceaholic rated it 5 of 5 stars

Nobody, and I mean nobody could have pulled off this premise except for Carolyn Crane, seriously.

I snagged this one on NetGalley because of the author's name, since I really enjoyed her Disillusionists Trilogy, and honestly didn't even read the synopsis at first.

So when I went to read it, and saw the blurb, at first I was all

But then I started reading and was all

And then I finished it (all in one sitting, might I add), and was all

Just brilliant. While there are a few tiny things that kind of stu...more

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Nov 11, 2012 Erin rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5 out of 5 stars.
3.5 out of 5 stars.

If you could wish for anything and be guaranteed the success of that wish, what would you conjure up?

Finding the wish fulfilling magic was accidental and the requests weren't always what she'd intended: a priceless necklace here, a wooden barrel there, the fictional man of her fantasies in the flesh. But with all magic comes a price and Alix if finding that the price is harder to deal with than anything she's had to face... ever.

Trying to outrun his horrifi...more 3.5 out of 5 stars.
3.5 out of 5 stars.

If you could wish for anything and be guaranteed the success of that wish, what would you conjure up?

Finding the wish fulfilling magic was accidental and the requests weren't always what she'd intended: a priceless necklace here, a wooden barrel there, the fictional man of her fantasies in the flesh. But with all magic comes a price and Alix if finding that the price is harder to deal with than anything she's had to face... ever.

Trying to outrun his horrific past, Paul is inexplicably drawn to a Minnesota town. It's there that he runs into not only the woman he's been kicking himself for dismissing, but also his nightmare - personified! How can one person take so much destruction and pain; and is toughing it out worth a second chance to right the wrong with Alix?

For Sir Nicholas Kendall, spy extraordinaire, he's clueless as to how he landed on the doorstep of a pink-haired woman, but he assumes it MUST be due to his nemesis' upcoming plan to cast civilization into a darkness and evil we have yet to even imagine. He's driven to uncover, then remove, his pink-haired "host" at any cost. And knows he's working on a tight deadline with a sinister consequences if he doesn't play his cards, and Alix, just right. Will he succeed or will he be thrown completely off task with all the new marvels and road blocks this town seems to be throwing at him?

What a combination of genres! Mr. Real combined romance, mystery, and the paranormal pretty darn successfully. I loved being introduced to the thoughts behind the minds of Alix, Paul, and Sir Kendall - the three POVs blended well and only added to the story telling. Without all three, I don't believe the story would have been as intriguing or captivating.

What I loved:
The characters - all so different but they had a great chemistry together.
The theme - again, such a unique spin on paranormal/mystery/romance.
Overall feel - Mr. Real had a very, well, real feel to it.

What I didn't like:
Everyone but Paul's dismissal and assumption that Alix was a clueless flibbertigibbet. Alix, herself, is even included in this category. Having a few reminders here and there that she was supposed to be a wee bit ditzy is fine, but I just felt as though I was overly reminded of that fact. To add to that, I didn't really feel as though she was as mindless as everyone (but Paul) thought her to be.

Overall, I'm so glad I picked Mr. Real up and gave it a shot - great job to Ms. Crane! I wish her luck with the continuation of this series!(less)

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Jan 06, 2013 Desiree rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: series, own-ebook, abandoned-series, dnf-and-reviewed

This started out intriguing enough but then I got bored. I got to about 45% and I could no longer deny that I didn't care about any of these characters. Alix is a ditzy idiot and for the life of me I cannot understand her sudden loyalty to and saviour complex over Sir Kendall who happens to be weird and stuck in some alternate reality that doesn't make a lick of sense. Paul meanwhile is just meh.

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Oct 26, 2012 Jen (That's What I'm Talking About) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance, suspense, 2012-new-to-me-author

My Rating: 3.5 stars: Liked it - recommend (B+)
Full Review: http://www.twimom227.com/2012/10/revi...

Alix Gordon has inherited her crazy Great Aunt Veronica’s old home, one that her family believes is shrouded in dark magic. She and her BFF, Karen, realize that the old 5-1/4 inch floppy she discovered in the house and uploaded onto her computer contained magic code. One drunken and lonely night, in order to prove that the computer is in fact magic, Alix decides to “order” a man of her own from th...more My Rating: 3.5 stars: Liked it - recommend (B+)
Full Review: http://www.twimom227.com/2012/10/revi...

Alix Gordon has inherited her crazy Great Aunt Veronica’s old home, one that her family believes is shrouded in dark magic. She and her BFF, Karen, realize that the old 5-1/4 inch floppy she discovered in the house and uploaded onto her computer contained magic code. One drunken and lonely night, in order to prove that the computer is in fact magic, Alix decides to “order” a man of her own from the image of the one guy she can’t forget, “Hardass Paul.” Paul, a martial arts instructor from Alix’s past, has a secret - he plays the character “Sir Kendall” in liquor commercials overseas. (I totally imagined a younger version of THE MOST INTERESTING MAN IN THE WORLD commercials.)

One of the things that I really enjoyed about Mr. Real is that the story is told from multiple points of view (POV). Each of the three main characters had such contrasting perceptions of what was happening, the multiple POVs made the story much richer. In addition, Ms. Crane did a marvelous job with details and descriptions. And one of my favorite things was how she constantly described that items from the computer were almost surreal and larger than life.

Alix is a bit flaky at times. It seems that she’s full of heart, but lousy on execution. So when she gets into this mess, I felt really bad for her. I liked that she did have a good head on her shoulders; however, she didn’t always use it. She is always trying to prove herself to her family, friends and those around her, but she uses sex, humor and her own oddity as shields.

At times throughout the story, I became a bit annoyed with Alix's refusal to listen to Paul or Karen and that she blatantly refuses to even consider something “wrong.” When viewed from Paul’s POV, Alix comes across as a jerk since she won’t consider the counsel of her REAL friends. Yet, when we get Alix’s POV, she comes across like a lost, hurt puppy dog. She’s been so wounded in her life, that she’ll blindly hold on to something she thinks will make things right.

Everything changes when Paul arrives. PauI and Alix do have something special. And through memories, we learn that Paul really did fall for Alix all those years ago. The more Paul is in the story, the more I like him. And after some convincing, it was good to have Paul know and believe the truth of the situation. I really enjoyed the pair, I just wish they didn’t take so long to break down their walls and confide in one another.

As the story grew to a climax, characters changed and grew. This is to be expected, but I have to say that the way in which the events played out threw me for a loop. I had it in my head that things would go down one way, so when they didn’t, I rebelled against the process and felt that they way in which situations were reconciled were inappropriate. However, once I finished reading the book and spent some time thinking about the entire picture, I realized that it all made perfect sense, and I ended up liking it much more than what I imagined. (It’s a really good thing Ms. Crane wrote this book and not me!)

In the end, Mr. Real is a fantastic start to what I hope to be a long lasting new series for Ms. Crane. The romance was light, but appropriate for the storyline. The geek in me wanted more explanations, but really, just like the characters brought to life, there isn't always a background, and I just have to except things as they are. The story has almost an urban fantasy feel to it, in that you don't know what will happen to our characters next. Oh, and there are still copies of that code out there! I look forward to finding out what stories lie ahead.(less)

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Jan 14, 2013 Sharonda (SexxyBlogger) rated it 3 of 5 stars

I won't be posting my review via my blog & I wanted to post it back to NetGalley, but it wasn't there anymore. Sooo...

I loved the base of the story..lonely girl conjures up hot man of her dreams, it makes for a fantastic tale.

But I couldn't connect with the characters. I thought Alix was just a little immature for a 24 year old and it confused on why she just couldn't understand why ppl distanced themselves away from her. I also didn't get the relationship between her, Sir Kendall & Pau...more

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Apr 26, 2013 Erin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: digital, fantasy, magic, paranormal, urban-fantasy, witches-oh-my, romance

So this was an interesting take on the classic trope.

Oddly enough, I was fine with all the supernatural elements.

What bugged me for most of the book, was how obsessed Alix (by the way.. dumb spelling.) was with a man that she had seen 4 times max- FOUR YEARS AGO, and was never romantically involved with. The level of obsession was mental hospital diagnosed with erotomania level of crazy. Who still obsesses over a man they flirted with 4 years ago? Again, they did not date. They didn't even kiss...more

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Nov 04, 2012 Janice (the_red1) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: received-for-review, netgalley, paranormal

"Mr. Real" is an improbable, yet entertaining read. The idea of converting spells into computer code, and using that code to conjure whatever you want...well, it's far-fetched to say the least, and hat's off to Ms. Crane for writing it so convincingly. In her hands, the unbelievable becomes believable. It's a neat trick and one not every writer can pull off.

The tone of the story is a well-balanced blend of humor and emotion, fluff and intrigue. There are moments that will make you laugh out loud...more "Mr. Real" is an improbable, yet entertaining read. The idea of converting spells into computer code, and using that code to conjure whatever you want...well, it's far-fetched to say the least, and hat's off to Ms. Crane for writing it so convincingly. In her hands, the unbelievable becomes believable. It's a neat trick and one not every writer can pull off.

The tone of the story is a well-balanced blend of humor and emotion, fluff and intrigue. There are moments that will make you laugh out loud, and others that will tug at your heart strings. The action is pretty limited, though, so if you're looking for a bunch of wild chase or fight scenes, you've picked up the wrong book. That's not to say "Mr. Real" is action-less, it's just the action takes a back seat to the characters.

Main gal Alix suffers from low self-esteem and at times takes things too personally, but at the same time, she's incredibly warm, funny, and forgiving. It's impossible to dislike her. She's just that sort of person.

Paul, on the other hand, didn't do much for me. I don't want to say he was awful, because he wasn't. He was just too "Wounded Warrior" for my taste. I can deal with a certain amount of angst in characters, but in Paul's case, I feel it was overdone. As was his whole "worship the ground Alix walks on" routine. It's sweet at first, but after a while, it gets old. He did redeem himself in the end, though.

For me, the real star of the show was Sir Kendall. He's mysterious, coldly calculating, potentially deadly, and yet he's so smooth, so James Bond-ish....well, YOU try resisting him. I sure couldn't! Of the three main characters, his journey was by far the most interesting, and I sincerely hope he gets his own book in the future. I'd read it in a heartbeat ;)

In the romance department, "Mr. Real" is sure to please. Lots of sizzle and burn. Better still, there's no love triangle! It seems like there will be, at first, but thankfully, we're spared that extra drama. I loved Alix all the more for that.

Overall, this is a good, fun, character-driven book. I'd recommend it.

3.5 Stars ★★★1/2
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.(less)

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Nov 25, 2012 Melliane rated it 4 of 5 stars

Mon avis en Français

My English review

I was quite curious to discover this new novel by Carolyn Crane. I have not yet had the opportunity to read her Disillusionists series but it is something that I will soon do! Especially now that I had the opportunity to have a taste of one of her books. This novel has allowed me to discover the world and writing style of the author which is very rich and original.

Alix is a young woman who has inherited a house from her aunt she has never known. But while eve...more Mon avis en Français

My English review

I was quite curious to discover this new novel by Carolyn Crane. I have not yet had the opportunity to read her Disillusionists series but it is something that I will soon do! Especially now that I had the opportunity to have a taste of one of her books. This novel has allowed me to discover the world and writing style of the author which is very rich and original.

Alix is a young woman who has inherited a house from her aunt she has never known. But while everyone seems to think she was a witch, she wants to know more about her and tries to figure out just who the lady was. And in this quest, she discovers something quite extraordinary. Indeed, a computer at home allows her, once she downloads an image, to get the object presented on her porch after 24 hours. Who would not want something like that? Able to have everything we want without any effort? I must say that I was very jealous of this opportunity. To understand what is exactly happening, she starts to test it. Because, of course, we wonder what is the limit of this prodigy. And we have everything, designer clothes, jewelries, huge elements... And when Alice decides to ask for a person, she decides to take a fictional character, a character that the man she loved played in a TV show a while ago. But surprise, the man appears to her one morning, convinced that he is Sir Kendall, a great spy. But when she comes to get used to him, now appears at his door after being strangely attracted to this house, the real man, Paul. But he is quite upset by what he discovers.

It was a really good story full of humor. I don’t think I ever read something like this before. The author really has her own style and I had a lot of fun to get into the story to discover the characters little by little. Alix is a very generous and kind person, some beautiful qualities but which also have a lot of impact on his life. She wants to help everyone even if it changes her life in the worst way. Paul meanwhile is more direct and specific in his choices. We learn to know him throughout the novel, with the two sides of his personality. He does not, however, pay attention about the consequences of his acts.

I was really curious to see how the whole story was going to end because things become more and more difficult for our little Alix. Especially with two men at home who do as they please. But well, she has a lot of choice.

It was a really enjoyable novel. A good discovery!(less)

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Dec 14, 2012 Barbara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Alix still remembers being thrown out of Paul’s martial arts class, and what made it worse was that she was very attracted to him. When she ran across his Denali liqueur ads on the internet that only aired overseas, she watched them as much as she could. She’s fascinated with, Sir Kendall, the charming spy who attracts all the women to him with ease. When Alix’s aunt dies and leaves her a house in a small town, she decides to turn it into a bed and breakfast. While going through her aunt’s thing...more

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Nov 08, 2012 Darcy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, e-book, net-galley-books, magic, pnr

I will admit that one of the big reasons why this book hit my awareness was the drama that the author went through with the cover. It is sort of funny, yet I can imagine if it was me it wouldn't be, just stressful.

I am torn with the story of the book. I thought the premise sounded intriguing, yet as I read I was a little bored while I was reading it and could easily put the book down to wander and putz around my house.

I wish that there would have been more about the Aunt, how she figured out th...more

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Nov 05, 2012 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: humor, kindle, paranormal-romance

I'll admit that with the seemingly mad-cap plot that was described for this book by its blurb, it was going to have to work hard to impress me - but luckily my faith in Carolyn Crane was well-founded! I really had some doubts at the outset... magical computer programs? A fake super spy from a liqueur commercial? Um... er... yeah. But she pulled it off, reasonably well.

I was struck quite a bit at first by how the plotting seemed an awful lot like a Gwyn Cready novel - right down to the heroine pr...more I'll admit that with the seemingly mad-cap plot that was described for this book by its blurb, it was going to have to work hard to impress me - but luckily my faith in Carolyn Crane was well-founded! I really had some doubts at the outset... magical computer programs? A fake super spy from a liqueur commercial? Um... er... yeah. But she pulled it off, reasonably well.

I was struck quite a bit at first by how the plotting seemed an awful lot like a Gwyn Cready novel - right down to the heroine prone to serious hijinks, duplicative heroes (who really are the same person), and a dire time warpy/magical plot device to raise the stakes. So this unfortunately started me off on the wrong foot, because I feel like Gwyn Cready does an excellent job with that particular brand of craziness, and it's not what I expect from Crane (who has her own brand of craziness! - or so I thought!). Ultimately I think the plotting fell a little short of a Cready novel (for an excellent example, see: Seducing Mr. Darcy). It didn't sparkle quite as much, it was not quite as hilarious. But what this book did have, if we're keeping to this comparison, is a depth of characterization well beyond anything in Cready's books. And I'm left feeling that this fact should not have surprised me - her characters are one of the best things about Ms Crane's books, for me.

So on to the actual story - Alix is a pretty directionless, all-fun-all-the-time kind of girl, who has inherited a Victorian mansion in the styx of Minnesota from her mysterious great aunt she never knew about. She really has no idea what she is doing, but she wants to turn the house into a B&B. We don't get off on the right foot with Alix - or rather, I didn't get off on the right foot with her. She comes off as totally flighty and promiscuous at the outset. It takes a little while to start to see Alix's redeeming qualities: her loyalty, her humor, her warmth, and the fact that she is more than a little lost.

Not to synopsize too much, because with a book like this I could spend all my time going on and on about the plot because it's a twisty thing! The other main characters are Paul ("Hardass Paul" - yeah!) and Sir Kendall. I found them a good bit more interesting than Alix, actually. Paul was my favorite character, because although he was conflicted, he knew what he wanted. I could never really stop pitying Sir Kendall, he was such a cardboard cutout. I thought the choice Crane made of writing Sir Kendall's viewpoint into a fair amount of the narration was a bold one - not really because it was necessary to move the plot along (which it was in some spots), but it was a bold choice because of how completely she had to construct this character. Who is to say what goes on in the mind of a spoofy secret agent who drinks peach liqueur and only exists in commercials? Well, Carolyn Crane is, obviously!

I would recommend this book. I think if you already like Crane's work (the Disillusionists series), you will like this. And, maybe even if you didn't like that - you might still like this, it is a few things that that series is not:

1. It's the first in a series but the plot is resolved in this book; ie, it stands alone
2. It has much more of a romance than a plot-driven feel
3. For me, it was much less dark and more farcical/humorous

Ultimately - for me, these are the things which made this a 4-star instead of a 5-star read. Because I loved Crane's Disillusionists books SO MUCH, and because there are just not that many authors who can grab onto me and move me so profoundly as she did with those books, this just fell a little bit short for me. I wanted that originality, the insanely visionary world-building, the intense psychological drama, the plot driven so much by love but not only by love. I wanted to be on the edge of my seat, I wanted to soar! So I could not help but feel this book was a bit fluffy- a totally great, zany, fun, still psychological (but perhaps psychological-lite) read, but just a bit fluffy for my taste! So with that full disclosure in mind, I definitely recommend this book. I will keep reading anything Crane writes... but I will keep hoping for something amazing like the Disillusionists from her!(less)

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Mr. Real (Code of Shadows #1)

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