**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net**In Real Life is a young adult contemporary romance by Jessica Love. It tells the story of teens Hannah and Nick who have been best friends for four years. Only hitch to that is they have never met. I think this is a book that is long overdue in todays technological climate. People everywhere have friends that they have only interacted with over the internet, or phone, or on social media. It is just the way the world is today. When I first started reading In Real Life, I thought this was going to be a catfish story. (and trust me, I love a good catfish story. P.S. is anyone else watching the new season?) But In Real Life turned out to be so much more than that. Hannah and Nick have talked on the phone and video chatted multiple times, so they knew who the other person was physically. In Real Life was a delightful story of whether or not they could actually work out as friends (or more than friends) in real life.

I loved watching Hannah and Nick. Nick likes Hannah so much, you could choke on all the adorableness. And Hannah was just so clueless about her feelings that I wanted to shake her so many times. I wanted to give her a good whap on the head every time she pushed Nick away. I just didn't get it. But they are teenagers, and they each had some growing up to do for sure. Watching them get over their faults and accept their faults was a favorite aspect of In real Life for me. It did seem very much like real life. I think Jessica Love did a great job depicting teenagers today.

Hannah and Nick were a great match. They cracked me up together. I loved how they would go along with whatever the other one was saying. You could tell they were really comfortable with each other. The one thing that I did not get at all, was the way multiple characters described Nick as kind of socially Awkward. I never once saw him this way. I thought he was a pretty smooth talker, and an overall likable guy. I didn't feel like he would have any trouble fitting in. So that description didn't gel with the way Nick was portrayed throughout the story. But I loved him even though I didn't think he was awkward. What he was, was very sweet.

Bottom line: If you like a good long distance love story mixed in with a hint of teenage "the Hangover", featuring a long nights romp on the Las Vegas strip, this will be a book that you will enjoy. If you are looking for a good depiction of true to life teens with a healthy dose of social media age, you should grab a copy of In Real Life today.

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs