I have never been as invested in someone else's relationship as I was with this one. That said, I didn't like it. I had a hard time with both of these characters, but I was so so interested in what was going to happen. This is a page turner for sure and I would recommend for anyone that's interested in Hollywood relationships.

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book, but the title and cover image are misleading. This is not a light and fluffy rom-com. It is, however a thoughtful love story with great character development. Don't get me wrong, there is definitely some fun banter and a cute enemies to lovers trope, but there is just so.much.more. Facing your demons, addiction, grief and lots of personal growth and development round out this story. It's hard to put down and definitely a great read!

How to Fake it in Hollywood is a celeb romance between two actors, Grey and Ethan, who have to fake date in a mutual beneficial set up to help one of them improve their reputation and the other get more famous. Despite what the title, cover and blurb might imply this is not a lighthearted romance. While it wasn't what I expected, and I wasn't a big fan of the romance, I did enjoy reading the book for its writing and emotions. I'd recommend it for those looking for something a bit deeper in their romance books.

The deep emotions in this book are handled very well. The topics are not what you usually see in a romance (alcoholism, death of a friend), and they're not handled lightly. Ethan's struggles are especially hard to read because his emotions feel so raw and real. I also really appreciated the importance that therapy is given in this book. And that therapy is not some spell that fixes everything; it's hard work, it's a process.

Beyond the emotions, The characters were very well established. I didn't necessarily love them but they were three dimensional characters, with lots of flaws and inner conflicts. It helped that such serious topics were handled with these nuanced characters. While I didn't love the main characters as much, I did love many of the side characters! Grey's agent, her best friend, Ethan's ex-wife. I especially loved the best friend Kamilah and her work/relationship with Andromeda, I could read a book just about Andromeda and Kamilah's romance.

One issue I had with the book was that I initially I didn't get why they liked each other. And then once their relationship grew, it was so unhealthy that I just didn't see how they were going to be happy together. Their personal issues overshadowed the romance in a way where I was more interested in them healing separately rather than together. However despite my doubts, the final resolution felt like a healthy way for them to come together as a couple.

Finally, I didn't like that so many people around Ethan kind of ignored the fact that he was an alcoholic. They gave him shit about it but they didn't try helping him in any way, or verbalizing what his issues were. This includes people who supposedly genuinely love him. While I can appreciate that it's not an easy topic to broach, it made it feel like the people around him, including Grey, didn't really care about him in a deep way.

Overall, I liked this book a lot more for its handling of emotions and showing how two broken people can come together, and push each other to be better than the romance itself, but I did really appreciate how it handled it all the deeper topics.

Got around to reading this ARC a little late (just a couple weeks past its pub date), but I'm so glad I did! As the co-host of an Ethan Hawke podcast (shameless plug - go listen to Hawkeyes wherever podcasts are available!), there are a few things that are hard not to take note of with the male lead in this book, Ethan Atkins. One, his first name. Two, the movie star meets independent film star. Three, the relationship he had with a best friend and ex-wife where they all made a series of movies together over a decade (see Uma Thurman and Robert Sean Leonard in the last 90s/early 2000s). Four, the two kids he shares with his ex-wife. Of course there's also a strong Ben Affleck energy to this character, but I digress!

Anyhoo, all of the Ethan Hawke of it aside, I had a great time reading this book! I thought both characters were so clear and dimensional (maybe Grey, especially) and I always love a good fake dating storyline. What I really liked about this particular instance of fake dating was that while there was insecurity about one person being in the ultimately real relationship strictly for their career - it wasn't just that. I'll leave it at that to avoid including spoilers in this review, but I do think it subverts the trope in an interesting way.

I also think it would have been really easy to end the book at a certain point (again no spoilers!) but Wilder chooses to continue the story and give the characters a different, more difficult resolution and I really loved that choice!

Thanks to Ballantine and NetGalley for the ARC!

4.5 stars. How to Fake It in Hollywood is such a good summer contemporary romance book! A lot of the romance books I’ve been picking up lately have been cheesy and cringey. How to Fake It in Hollywood was a breath of fresh air by having real, dynamic characters. I really enjoyed this book!

This is a funny, raw, hard-hitting, emotional, and entertaining book about the behind the scenes of relationships in Hollywood. There was never a dull moment and I'm so glad I was able to read this book in exchange for a honest review.

Grey and Ethan were both charming in their own way and their chemistry was off the charts. I enjoyed seeing the push and pull of their relationship, even though it was supposed to be fake. They had an understanding of each other and a respect for each other that helped them grow throughout the story.

I caught myself smiling and laughing throughout because of both of their dry senses of humor. The side characters in this story were great too. Definitely saw some strong and dominant women taking over the Hollywood scene in this story.

Don't go into this story thinking it's a light-hearted romance, because it dives into alcoholism, drug usage and describes abusive situations between parents and children. This book also dives into mental health and is therapy positive!

Definitely pick this up if you're looking for a romance that will heat you up and make you laugh, and possibly cry at times!

What a fabulous debut! I flew through this book and would like the movie version now please. Grey and Ethan are wonderfully drawn characters with amazing chemistry. I loved that this book didn't shy away from the dark side of fame and the struggles they both went through. Honestly, I love when characters just TALK on the page. and these two are so, so fun. Anyway, great read. Highly recommend. I can't wait to read the author's next book!

This book surprised me, I thought I was just going to read an enemy to lovers rom com. However, this book is so much more, its grief, addiction and finding who you truly are.

Both Grey and Ethan had attraction right from the start, but both had unresolved issues so it teetered on a love that could be broken.

I love the authors writing and how it flowed perfectly, I didn't want it to end I wanted more from Ethan and Grey.

Thank you to NetGalley for gifting me this book for my honest review.

Well this was a big letdown. I had high hopes for this one, but it was not for me. Don’t get me wrong, I loved this book and the characters for about half the book. I thought I connected with them and then around halfway through, these characters went completely off script from what I perceived them to be. Their habits and moods started to seem out of character & I did not feel like the story was cohesive anymore. I probably should have DNF’d when this happened for me, but I pushed through and it was bleh. 2.5 stars purely for the first half of the book.

This book really took me by surprise!! I expected to enjoy it since the concept seemed a bit like Funny You Should Ask, which I loved, but it really went above my expectations.

I definitely got A Star Is Born vibes in the last third of this story with the relationship dynamic that developed, but not as violently if you know what I mean. I will be recommending this book to LOTS of fellow readers especially if you enjoy fake dating and hollywood romances.

A stranger to lovers forced proximity story that makes your heart flutter with how well Grey and Ethan got along from the beginning. They have their ups and downs but the angst to see them finally getting along was a bit intense. They both had a lot to work on individually, many things that resurfaced once they met, but some things were a bit too repetitive for me. I understand their struggles and how they might take one step forward and two steps back but I think it was stretched out a bit too much. Overall it was a good story to give you the feels and have you wanting to know more about their relationship.

UNPUTDOWNABLE!!!! read it all in one sitting & chose to keep reading instead of catching up on Love Island lol

This is exactly what I wanted Funny You Should Ask (also five stars though!!!) to be and more. Hit the pop culture high points that I am fascinated by, while also giving an extremely believable romance--their chemistry was insane throughout the whole book. Now I just want to see it on a screen somewhere *cough cough* Netflix 👀

Enjoy this new book by Ava Wilder - it includes romance, fake dating, second chance, lots of spice and comedy. Happy Reading

Thank you to Ballantine Books and Netgalley for a copy of this book to read!
I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy of this book through Netgalley. And these are my honest opinions about it.

Grey Brooks is an ex-soap opera star who can't seem to find new work since her breakout role ended. Ethan Atkins is a superstar whose reputation has gone off the deep end since his best friend died. Put together by their agents, a plan has been set forth to get both of their careers back on track. In the midst of fake dating though, who wouldn't fall in love?

While this book took me a lot longer than normal to read, I felt it was one of the better ones I've read this year. I could really feel the chemistry between the main characters, and it didn't seem forced at all. Grey and Ethan could've been real celebrities and I would've believed every second of it. The relationship just felt so real!

I think this partly has to do with the inclusion of mental health and addiction in both romance and career. A lot of Ethan's struggles I know will be relatable to many. The portrayal of his mental health was done in a very tasteful but also realistic way, and I appreciate the way things played out in the end.

Like I stated previously, this book took me a lot longer to read than normal. I think this is because of the pacing of the book. There were a lot of fast parts but then when it wasn't going fast it felt like it was dragging on and on. I kept finding myself wishing I were doing something else while reading, so I did do something else haha.

Overall, this book was really enjoyable, and I'm so glad I got to read it!

I finished this book at 1am and it was still the first thing on my mind when I woke up this morning.

This book has sugar, spice and everything nice. It literally has all the tropes that I want!!!!!! I honestly thought this was a light romance read but I got so much more emotions than what I was expecting.

There were no boring or filler chapters. My screen time went from 9 hours to 3 hours yesterday because all I did was read this book lol. I don't regret it at all!

After reading the blurb, I expected a lot because I've always wanted a book with a plot like this. I'm happy to say that it indeed met all my expectations. <3

That was such a GREAT debut. I am so excited for Ava Wilder's future books if her first is this good!

Arc provided by PRH international :)

Liked this one, a little more serious than most the romcoms I read (the addiction part) but it was cute and hot and I LOVE a fake dating story. Loved the best friend character as well.

I loved this debut novel by Ava Wilder. I thought I knew what I was getting into based on the cover (more on that in a minute), but this is not a feel-good rom-com. It is gut-wrenching and should come with some pretty serious trigger warnings, but I was totally engrossed in Grey and Ethan’s story. Be prepared to feel all the emotions while you read this book, but it is worth the ride (I promise).
Now… about that cover… I am fully aware that Romancelandia has some very polarizing opinions of “cartoon” covers, but for the most part I enjoy the illustrations. I know what I’m getting into as far as spice level in romance novels, so I don’t look at a cover and assume there is closed door sexy times because the cover doesn’t have half dressed models on the front. That being said, I made a HUGE mistake in assuming I knew what this book would be about based on the absolutely adorable cover and the title of the novel. I expected a cute little rom-con that would be a breeze to read while I floated in the pool. This is very much not a laugh-out-loud beach read! It is SAD!!!! It sticks to the rules of romance, so there is an HEA, but Ethan and Grey worked HARD for their happy ever after.
As long as you go into this book with the understanding that it isn’t a fluffy sumner read, I think you will fall in love with it as much as I did. I can’t wait to read more from this new author.

Grey Brooks has been a working actress since she was eight-years-old. However, almosy a year after a successful run as the lead character of a teen soap called Poison Paradise, Grey has been frustratingly unemployed.

Ethan Atkins is a major Hollywood actor who lost everything - from movie roles to custody of his kids - after his best friend and collaborator died on a car accident. Five years after the loss, he’s now a functioning alcoholic just struggling to hold on.

In an effort to boost their careers - and maybe drag Ethan out of the ditch - their publicist decides to propose a PR relationship (fake dating, basically) between Grey and Ethan.

The first half is basically a romantic, trope-y deliciouness filled with Hollywood scandal and fake dating hijinks (i.e. sexual tension through the roof 😏). It’s so fun and their banter is perfect and everything is 10/10.

Now. The second half of this book turns into an angsty, toxic mess (but in the best way possible, I promise). Ethan’s addictions completely take over his sanity in a heartbreaking way, making this book fit into that 0.3% of romance novels where you actually stop and think, “wait a second… is this actually not a romance? Do they not end up together? Is there an author’s note at the end filled with bullshit about how ‘real life doesn’t have happy endings’?”.

The entire point of romance novels is that there is a guaranteed HEA, so, when you come across one that actually makes you doubt that, it’s worth noting, lol.

I adored this, so much more than I anticipated. A believable romance peppered with the tumultuous Hollywood narrative? Count me in. Endearing, heart wrenching, and utterly readable - I read this in one sitting!

I love reading about "celebrities" in books. I'm so glad this was a fake dating trope, it was fun. The writing style was entertaining and enjoyable.

I was so happy we got both main characters' points of view. I feel like this always gives readers so many more feeling toward each. The fact that Grey and Ethan were so different made for a great story.

I highly recommend this book if you are a fan of this particular trope, because this author did it well. I loved this quick, fun, and easy read. Lastly, I can't finish this review without saying how absolutely stunning the cover was.