I wasn’t a huge fan of this one. The way in which alcoholism was portrayed felt really … incomplete? I was telling someone i feel like people either LOVE this one or love funny you should ask & fysa is my top read of 2022 so far

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 4.5/5⭐️⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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𝗪𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝: Y’all know I love a fake dating trope, and this one had the perfect premise—Grey and Ethan had to sign a contract with their agents to boost both of their images. I honestly could see two real celebrities being in the exact same situation, so right off the bat it was believable. Factor in the dual POVs and the palpable tension between these two characters, and you’ve got me hooked.

The inclusion of Ethan’s ex-wife and his two daughters was something I didn’t expect to love so much. Not only did Wilder give us two co-parents who get along well, but we got an ex-wife and a girlfriend who also see eye-to-eye; plus all three of them had actual mature adult conversations. This is a POV that I don’t feel is represented enough for the sake of prioritizing drama, so it was really refreshing and enjoyable to read.

I also really enjoyed a lot of the themes that were explored, some more directly than others. Discussions of addiction, family estrangement, mental illness, being thrust into the public eye, invasions of privacy (by fans and paparazzi), double standards across gender lines, grief, loss, and guilt. It was all handled so seamlessly and, thinking back, there really was a lot packed into the pages.
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𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞: I waffled between 4 or 4.5 on this one for a while, and ultimately went higher because I do think this one will stick with me. This book explores really difficult topics like addiction, grief, and alcoholism; and I did not expect it to be as heavy as it was, but I thought it was all handled very well. I think my one qualm is that, while I appreciate that Ethan’s character sought help and treatment, I wanted to see more of the after. The ending just felt a bit like a quick and rushed resolution.

I ADORED THIS BOOK. I went into it knowing that I was probably going to really like it because I am a huge sucker for celebrity romances, but it totally blew my expectations out of the water! The characters had so much depth and nuance, without being bogged down by melodrama or too much angst. I loved it and will absolutely be reading anything Ava writes in the future!!!

I’m impressed by the complexity of this book.

Ethan Atkinson is a major Hollywood star with a messy history who is trying to get back some credibility. Grey brooks has reached a plateau in her acting career. They agree to fake date each other for publicity and added recognition.

The first half is the classic lovey-dovey, falling for each other, fake dating trope and the second half is a dramatic reality hit. I love that this is not all sunshine and rainbows and shows how real humans struggle sometimes.

Celebrity romances don’t usually work for me but this one is very different. The characters come off as genuine and human.

Thank you so much to Random House- Ballantine and Netgalley for letting me read an eARC of How to Fake it in Hollywood. I loved the cover of this one and the summary was super interesting too, so I was really excited to read it!
How to Fake it In Hollywood 4/5 Stars
Summary from Goodreads:
A talented Hollywood starlet and a reclusive A-lister enter into a fake relationship . . . and discover that their feelings might be more than a PR stunt in this sexy debut for fans of Beach Read and The Unhoneymooners.
Grey Brooks is on a mission to keep her career afloat now that the end of her long-running teen soap has her (unsuccessfully) pounding the pavement again. With a life-changing role on the line, she's finally desperate enough to agree to her publicist's scheme... faking a love affair with a disgraced Hollywood heartthrob who needs the publicity, but for very different reasons.
Ethan Atkins just wants to be left alone. Between his high-profile divorce, his struggles with drinking, and his grief over the death of his longtime creative partner and best friend, he's slowly let himself fade into the background. But if he ever wants to produce the last movie he and his partner wrote together, Ethan needs to clean up his reputation and step back into the spotlight. A gossip-inducing affair with a gorgeous actress might be just the ticket, even if it's the last thing he wants to do.
Though their juicy public relationship is less than perfect behind the scenes, it doesn't take long before Grey and Ethan's sizzling chemistry starts to feel like more than just an act. But after decades in a ruthless industry that requires bulletproof emotional armor to survive, are they too used to faking it to open themselves up to the real thing?
This book was way less of a romance and way more of a thinking book, but I enjoyed it so much! I always love the fake dating trope and the fact that Grey and Ethan were so different made it even more enjoyable. I think as soon as their relationship began getting toxic, it became really obvious how much Ethan had to heal still and how much Grey could grow, but if they both did that, you could see that they had something there that could grow and be amazing. I really enjoyed the pacing, plot, and characters in this book and I definitely recommend it, but don't be fooled by the fun cover, it's definitely a heavier book than it looks, so be aware of that going in.

Link to be added once posed

Absolutely divine! I am shocked by how much I loved this one. Romance is a hard 5 stars for me but this was it-100%. I loved Grey and Ethan- alone and apart and all of the side characters just added such a great fleshed out work to inhabit with them.

I think it must be noted that this is all not light hearted and sweet. Does it have an adorable fake dating and age gap tropes? Absolutely but it more importantly faces death and addiction and inner demons and the cost of fame. It was very powerful and applicable within the realm of the story. Most of the drama made sense and was applicable which I think can be challenging in a Hollywood based story.

Also did I mention hot? There is some high quality smut in this book and it did not disappoint at all. I was thrilled- and definitely need to be taking my own Palm Springs trip now.

A great one by Ava Wilder and I look forward to seeing what she releases next. Thank you Penguin and Netgalley for the advanced copy. This was such a gem!

This was just OK.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for my advanced copy of How to Fake It in Hollywood.

Things I Enjoyed-

✨ The Audio- This book had two narrators. Thérèse Plummer & Andrew Eiden. I enjoy multiple narrators when there are multiple POV's. Both Thérèse and Andrew did a great job.

✨ The Writing- This book was super easy to follow.

Why This Book Lost Stars-

I wasn't particularly invested.
There was zero chemistry between the characters and I didn't really believe they were in love.
I wanted more plot and more drama.
I expected so much more entertainment than what this book delivered.

Overall- I'll still give this author another try.

Incredibly fleshed out, emotional, and romantic story with fake dating in hollywood as the perfect backdrop.

I was expecting this to be a light romcom, but wow. It was so much deeper than that. This book dealt with some heavy topics including addiction and grief. I love a good fake relationship troupe, and this definitely hit that craving. There were some fun, steamy parts balanced with heartbreaking drama. I really loved both Grey and Ethan. While this wasn’t what I was expecting when I picked it up, I quite enjoyed it. I believe this is a debut from this author. I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

Bottom Line: Read it!

**I received a copy of How to Fake it in Hollywood from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are of my own.**

I was so grateful to receive an ARC of this book, so much thanks to the publisher and author! While it took me quite a bit to get through this one, it wasn't because I didn't like it; I actually rather enjoyed this one!

We follow Gray, a rising star who started acting as a child and it quickly became her life. We see things from her perspective as well as super star actor, Ethan, which makes for an interesting contrast.

The main plot line is that the two actors wind up "fake dating" in order to improve their reputations. Grey is trying to book more gigs while Ethan is trying to undo the damage of his rather uncouth habits in the wake of his best friend's tragic death.

I have to say, I knew where this was going from the get-go, as the fake dating trope is pretty common. Even though the plot was pretty predictable, the character development was really well done and drew me in. There were also quite a few things I didn't see coming, which is what kept me reading!

I'm all down for a cheesy romance novel, even if I kind of already know how it's going to end, but it's all about the journey! Gray and Ethan's relationship was gritty and real, which I found refreshing and interesting. I also adored the side characters! Wilder really let each of them have their moment to shine & I'd love to read a book based around Grey's best friend Kamilah and her partner, Andromeda!

I gave this one an easy 4 stars! How to Fake It In Hollywood is out now in paperback, audiobook & on Kindle!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

3.5**

I am convinced that this book is compared to Beach Read because based on the synopsis and cover you would assume it is a light, fluffy, & fun romance and it CAN be but there is way more heavy topics in it. I was not expecting nor in the mood for it so it affected my rating a bit however - still pick this up and give it a read! Just be aware.

The believability of the fake dating in this book is on point! I can see so many reason to fake date in Hollywood. I wish the characters has more felt chemistry or angst with the characters. The side characters were awesome and well thought out and I enjoyed the fact that there weren't too many. Grey is strong and 'built tough skin' from being in the spotlight which is shown.

Overall a good debut from the author!

* I received an ARC of this book from Net Galley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this book. All thoughts are my own.

4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this book. I liked how the author worked with Ethan’s journey to sobriety towards the end and how he is in love with Grey.I also especially liked the interview as an epilogue. I wish there was a little more romance but overall great story!!

I really wanted to like this book! I tried multiple times to get into the characters but I just couldn’t quite finish it.

Wow! Wow! Wow! This book was steamy. I think the Hollywood troupe might be quickly becoming my favorite. It's like a glimpse behind a curtain into a world that is supposed to be off limits to most of us "regular" folks. I found myself talking aloud tot the characters while I read as I was that engrossed in the story. This was a 5 star book without me even having to think about it.

This book grabbed my attention from the very beginning! I LOVE the fake dating trope! Grey and Eathan had great chemistry. The book had a great pace too!

I had such high hopes for this book, but overall I did not enjoy it. It had its moments, but I found it had too much manufactured drama. I liked the main character, but her love interest was not for me.

This was so angsty and adult and I loved every second. I love messy romance like this, where it’s real like, shitty and not a picture perfect romance. Whew!

Ethan was a smoker and I found that incredibly sexy so unclear what that says about me but whatever.

Also, that was not an age gap, it was 10 years lol. People who think that’s an age gap need to read Wanting Mr. Cane please.

What a great read! I loved Grey as the lead, she's strong, she's confident, she's got anxiety. I love that she stands up for herself and isn't afraid to tell people no. Her romance with Ethan felt so real. Ethan too, I wasn't mad at him for having falls and I understood his self sabotaging ways. Overall a great summer read! I highly recommend to rom com readers and anyone who loves celebrity culture.

thank you for the review copy net galley!

I love a good holiday romance book! I had such a fun time reading this! Couldn’t put it down!! Loved it!

Grey is a child star who is still working as an adult, but her acting career isn't where she wants it to be. Ethan is a former heartthrob A-lister who flamed out spectacularly after the tragic death of his best friend and business partner. When their respective agents and publicists suggest that the two start a fake relationship to help both of their careers, they're skeptical. But then they meet, and they find that they're compelled to do it. They don't plan to actually fall for one another, but it happens. While they both have their own demons to battle, the two also forge a very real connection. Is it enough to sustain them through some of the hardest moments of their lives? This is a delight from start to finish. The writing is crisp, the Hollywood/celebrity stuff feels both plausible and realistic, and the characters are treated with such care. Everyone, from the book's main protagonists to the side characters are well drawn, sympathetic, and absolutely real. Full of angst and chemistry and some pretty steamy scenes. I loved, loved, loved this one.