The Cost Of Being Real (Paperback)

Paperback. "A tender, unflinching novel about the lies we tell to keep love intact. Nathan Cross writes with rare honesty about what it costs to finally be seen." - NetGalley What happens when the truth finally costs more than the lie?Shaun arrives in Seattle running from his father's voice and from the version of himself he's spent years performing. On the outside, he looks successful. Inside, he feels hollow. When staying with Emma starts to feel like becoming his father, he leaves.Emma has spent her life searching for something real. With Lauren, she believes she's finally found it.But their marriage is built on a lie. And when Lauren's old college friend Sara moves into their spare room, the lie takes on a life of its own.When the truth surfaces, it doesn't just threaten one relationship. It forces four people to confront the lives they've built, the stories they've told themselves, and the price of finally being honest.Shaun must learn that real work isn't about proving himself. It's about listening.Emma must confront the painful truth that love cannot survive when dishonesty is part of the foundation.Sara must face what happens when you insert yourself into other people's lives to avoid building your own.And Lauren must decide whether becoming real is worth losing everything she built while pretending.Two marriages. Two generations. Four lives bound by secrets none of them can keep forever.This book is for: Readers who love emotional, character-driven fiction about marriage, identity and the truths couples hide.Anyone who has stayed in a relationship that looked fine from the outside while something quietly broke underneath.Readers who have been lied to by someone they loved, and wondered whether they missed the signs.Women who have spent their lives searching for something real, and are tired of settling for less.Readers moved by stories of coming out, family and acceptance, and the courage it takes to be seen.Book clubs, with a discussion guide included at the end of the book.The Cost of Being Real is an emotionally charged novel about marriage, betrayal, identity, and the terrifying freedom of no longer performing and finally being seen.Because sometimes the hardest question isn't whether the truth will hurt. It's whether the truth is worth losing everything you've built. "I finished this book at 2 a.m. and couldn't sleep. Nathan Cross understands the quiet lies that hold a marriage together and the cost of finally telling the truth. Emma and Lauren's story will stay with me for a long time. Have tissues ready." - Jennifer Allen - Reader This item is printed on demand. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. …