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I was excited to get an eARC of this book through NetGalley! I read most of this book in one day and really liked it. It was a good, more serious romance exploring fame and issues surrounding it.

I loved both leads, Grey and Ethan. Ethan is struggling with the loss of his best friend, Sam, five years before, and with likely addiction as well. He had a messy divorce from his wife and would like to gain more custody of his kids. He doesn’t want to let in people easily to his life, and is taken by surprise by his relationship with Grey as he gets to know her.

I especially enjoyed Grey’s arc. She wants to be able to be taken seriously and to produce a movie that she has been working on with her best friend. She isn’t really looking for a relationship with Ethan and has had a past bad relationship. I liked seeing her grow throughout the story and get to know Ethan and what she wants.

This felt like a very mature romance, in that both characters had their own issues to deal with and while they had arguments, I didn’t feel that they fell into the miscommunication trope. They both needed to work through some things and I think the book dealt with that with depth and respect.

I really liked this and would absolutely recommend it, especially if you enjoy books about famous characters!

In this romance novel, Grey is an actress who has been acting since childhood and is between projects now that her teen soap has gone off there. Ethan is a big name actor and writer who has disappeared from the spotlight in the years since the death of his best friend/writer/costar Sam. When their publicist suggests they have a pretend relationship for publicity, they both reluctantly agree. And this being fiction, of course fake dating turns into some real sparks.

Don’t let the cover fool you - this is not just a light fluffy romance story, but also deals with some heavier issues like grief, addiction, and learning to trust and open up to someone else. I liked that the book was light enough while dealing with more serious stuff, and really enjoyed the two main characters as well as the side characters. If you enjoy the fake dating trope or books set in Hollywood, I’m sure you’ll enjoy this one too.

How to Fake it in Hollywood is an excellent faking dating romance. Wonderful story and fantastic characters

Grey and Ethan had so much chemistry! Their attraction jumps off the page, and it made it even easier to root for them, but it also had me yelling for them to get it on already! I liked Ethan, but for me, Grey was really the star of How to Fake it in Hollywood. She was such a fantastic character, and I loved how kind he was, but she also spoke her mind.

This was written in the third person, and while I would have preferred dual first pardon POV, this worked. We needed insight into both of their feelings, especially Ethan’s. This book deals a lot with mental health and substance abuse, so make sure to check the trigger warning. I thought these were all handled well.

The story wow great! The pacing was perfect, and even though I was anxious for the romance to start, the timing was perfect! If you enjoy the fake Dating romance trope, then pick this one up right away!

REVIEW: How to Fake it in Hollywood by Ava Wilder 💫

This was sooo good!!! If you need a summer read, look no further!

This debut came out yesterday - June 14th - and I’m so thankful that @randomhouse & @netgalley gave me an eARC exchange for a honest review 💓

well in this case a ✨glowing✨ review because I loved it!!

As cute as this cover is, Grey and Ethan are so much more than two Hollywood celebrities trying to revive their careers through fake dating. There are definitely some CW/TW to be aware.

I liked this one so much because I did get so sucked in Grey and Ethan and all of their struggles. I really admired how they worked through all of their own things! And the healing wasn’t linear, which made it feel so real.

Also, fake dating is one of my top 3 tropes and I’m a sucker for celebrities, so yes I loved this one!!

Can’t wait to see what you write next @avawilderwrites 🤩💓

Loved this one. This is the 3rd or 4th romance novel I’ve read in the past few months where at least 1 person is famous but this one definitely stood out. I’m loving the Hollywood celeb stories this year! Swoony & fun, this is the perfect book for rom-com fans to add to their beach bag!

A Hollywood starlet (Grey) and reclusive A lister (Ethan) enter into a fake relationship and find out their feelings may be more than a PR stunt.

Holy smokes y’all I just love Grey and Ethan. The celebrity aspect was super juicy but I enjoyed getting to know grey & Ethan behind the scenes. They gave me all the warm fuzzy feelings of new love. And the steam y’all is off the charts 🥵 Read this one of you love fake dating, one bed, celebrity gossip.

❌Alerta de gatilho/conteúdo: luto, exposição de imagem sem consentimento, alcoolismo❌

Thanks @prhinternational for this ARC!

Após o término da série de televisão que estrelou nos últimos anos, Grey Brooks está determinada a manter sua carreira em alta. E é por isso que ela começa a fingir um relacionamento com recluso ator Ethan Atkins.

O livro de estreia de Ava Wilder acerta o equilíbrio entre o tom leve de comédia romântica e o drama em assuntos mais sensíveis.

Grey é uma mulher determinada, astuta, batalhadora, pé no chão e sempre fala o que pensa. Ela atua desde criança e adora o que faz, mesmo que a fama tenha seu lado negativo. Ethan é um famoso ator cuja morte do melhor amigo afetou profundamente sua vida e seu casamento. Por baixo de todo charme e beleza, há um homem que ainda sofre pelo luto.

A química entre Grey e Ethan se dá desde o primeiro encontro, o que é bom para o fato do relacionamento falso mas péssimo caso os dois não queiram se envolver de verdade. Mesmo antes de se envolverem por completo, os dois desenvolvem uma camaradagem bem gostosinha, regada a flertes e provocações.

O romance entre Grey e Ethan é fofo e sexy, mas há uma grande nuvem cinza ameaçando estragar o dia. Ambos se apoiam incondicionalmente no quesito profissional; já no quesito emocional, a autora soube trabalhar bem os sentimentos de Grey em relação aos comportamentos erráticos de Ethan. E por mais que o ator tenha algumas atitudes questionáveis durante a história, sabemos que isso tudo vem do fato que ele nunca superou a morte do amigo e o alcoolismo só potencializa esse sentimento. Ava abordou muito bem como o vício não afeta somente a vida da pessoa, mas todos ao seu redor.

Eu devo destacar Nora, ex-mulher de Ethan. Sua personagem é bastante cirúrgica praticamente toda vez que abre a boca, principalmente quando Grey começa a se envolver com ele. Ela tem por experiência o que é ter um relacionamento não apenas com Ethan, mas também com seu vício. Adorei a amizade que nasceu entre ela e Grey.

How To Fake It In Hollywood traz a premissa de relacionamento falso e entrega muito mais.

This was a much grittier fake dating Hollywood romance than I was expecting but I really enjoyed it!! Grey is looking for her next big hit, while Ethan is a single, divorced Dad battling alcoholism. In an attempt to bolster both their careers, their agent arranges a fake dating contract.

A bit of a slow burn, the chemistry between the two leads did quickly heat up as they fight to keep things platonic. Things blow up after a romantic getaway weekend though when the paparazzi get a hold of compromising photos.

Grey and Ethan have to fight for a second chance at love and I really enjoyed that it wasn't a quick fix love story. My only complaint was that I thought Ethan's addiction issues weren't addressed as fully as they could have been. We only learn that he's recovered and been in rehab after the characters reunite at the end of the book.

Other than that though, this story had lots of depth and great banter (plus an AMAZING cover)! Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

What a beautifully written book! It was engaging and insightful. Both Grey and Ethan are such rich characters with so much depth. It was so easy for me to be invested in them. In their well-being, and in their relationship with each other. I loved watching their journey, watching them work through past traumas, and relearning how to connect and trust others again.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩:
Age gap
Fake dating
Undeniable attraction 🥵
Fun banter
"Just this weekend"

𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙨 𝙄 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙙:
😏 That first meeting
🔥 Running lines together
🥺 When their walls came down

Overall, this was a stunning debut and I will definitely be reading more Ava Wilder books!

CW: alcoholism, substance abuse (off page), death of a friend, cheating (past), abuse (past).

I would give this book 3. 5 stars, so I'm rounding up to 4 stars. I really enjoyed the beginning and end of this book, but parts in the middle fell flat. I liked the main characters until the middle and then I started to get annoyed with them. Very clearly Ethan has an alcohol problem from the beginning of the book. I think where I had a hard time connecting in the middle was due to Grey and her relationship with drugs and alcohol. Grey knows that Ethan has a problem, but she continues to drink with him and in front of him and she even does drugs at one point. I felt like she should've done a better job of abstaining instead of continuing to enable Ethan. Overall I did enjoy the book and got the feels that I want when reading a Rom-com.

3.5/5 Stars

** I received this as an E-ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review, Thank you!**

I really enjoyed reading this, I'm always a sucker for a fake dating trope. I will say that this did seem to focus a little bit more on the characters than anything else. I also would've liked to see just a little bit more chemistry and passion out of this couple. However, I did really enjoy it. The writing was pretty good and kept me interested, and I did feel attached to the characters to become invested in their lives. I would for sure recommend this book and will keep an eye out for more books by this author!

I really enjoyed this book. It was full of emotions and really looked at a characters growth and struggles. Wilder really did a great job handling heavier emotions and topics. I really enjoyed the celebrity trope in this. I can't wait to read more of her books.

This is not your typical rom-com with the fake dating trope and I was thoroughly impressed with how much substance it brought. I think Ava wove in some triggering subjects but handled them with care. I was not expecting so much angst in this book so I was taken a little off guard, but I did like this book.


*ARC courtesy of the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. I want to thank the valued author, the publisher who took a chance on the author, and Netgalley for providing a copy.*

The agent and the publicist thought it would be a mutually beneficial arrangement. Ethan, an uber-famous actor who has been a recluse since his divorce and substance abuse issues, could use a leading lady to perk up his reputation. Grey was on a teen soap opera for many seasons, but has not been able to find work since the season wrapped. She could use Ethan’s star power to give her career a little boost.

Neither of them are into entering into a dating contract, but after meeting they are both interested enough to see where this takes them. You know this story. You know what happens, but it is done well and tackles some heavy issues without being too heavy. If you are put off by steamy scenes, stay away. (I’m not. I thought they were tastefully spicy.)

I am 100 percent NOT a romance reader, but I picked this one up on advice of friends. As our resident romance reader @mellireadsromance says, if you don’t love this one, I don’t want to know about it.

This is a very well-written book. This is an interesting book. This is even a compelling book. But this is not exactly a fun book.

Ethan is an almost-washed up mega star in need of some positive media attention. Grey is a former child actress finding the transition to an adult career difficult. A public relationship between the two of them would serve both their interests. And, in any other story, a fun, swoony fake-dating relationship would ensue with the glitter of Hollywood as a backdrop.

This story is much darker. Ethan has real, serious issues. Grey's got her own stuff too. Hollywood is not an easy or forgiving place. As fun as their banter is and as hot as their chemistry becomes, the sense of foreboding is suffocating. This is not going to end well. It's going to hurt.

Honestly, it was enough of a bummer that I wanted to stop reading. But I couldn't, because, as I mentioned, it's exceptionally well-written. The characters are compelling. Their conversations are surprising and insightful. I was invested in their lives. I made it to the end (which felt very rushed and abrupt--16 months of nothing and then 1 day???) only with the aid of lots of carbs.

I wouldn't discourage anyone from reading this. It's a meaty, engrossing story. Just don't go in expecting it to be a romance, or even particularly happy.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

Fake Dating in Hollywood involves lawyers, managers, contracts, and NDAs. AND if you slip up and let the fake dating cat out of the bag you pay a million dollars. Well, Grey and Ethan go ahead and sign up for this plan in hopes of getting help with their individual careers. What they didn't expect was for the fake part to not be so fake anymore.

I thought this was a very good book. I liked that this wasn't your typical rom-com fake dating trope. There was a lot more to these characters than it appeared, and the author made it clear that fame has its drawbacks. Serious topics including addiction and grief were also an important part of the story. This is a solid debut for Ava Wilder, and I look forward to seeing what she comes up with next.

My sincere thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine, Dell, and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book and give my opinion of it.

Phew! That was a read.
How to fake it in Hollywood is the story of Grey and Ethan who need some Hollywood-faux romance pairing to get back/stay in the public eye. Of course stuff happens and they end up falling for each other.

I really liked Grey our FL. She didn't take any BS and I liked how in tune with herself she was. She didn't lie to herself and was a very level character. Ethan the ML was okay but Grey was the real star.

More importantly, this book was not a romcom. It dealt with heavy loss and alcoholism unflinchingly. This was surprising for me because from the blurb (and cover) I expected a lighter read and wouldn't want anyone else not knowing what they were getting into.

Overall, it was a quick read. There were no heinous characters minus Greys' mangy ex. Nora was so fun! I truly liked the other characters too.

A huge thanks to Random house and NetGalley for the ARC.

An out of work television starlet and an A-list turned recluse celebrity get put together by their joint publicist to 'fake' date to get their names back out in the public eye. They have to put on a show for the cameras and try their best to not let their acting develop into true feelings. ⁣
⁣
I mean, what could go wrong? ⁣
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This was a fun one and would be perfect for a vacation read! It was kind of neat that they both were celebrities (I've read a few celebrity/non-celebrity romances lately) at different levels in their careers that had two different viewpoints on the world they worked in. ⁣
⁣
It does have some triggers regarding alcoholism and death of a friend that are at the forefront of the storyline, so just a heads up. Also, not closed door romance but not too intense.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

“But they still wanted each other. They would still choose each other over anyone else on earth. And in a way, that was even better.”

How to Fake it in Hollywood is ever bit as glamorous and enchanting as the blurb leads us to believe. Although it’s promoted as a romcom and certainly delivered on that front, it is much more than that. I signed up for a fluffy/spicy trope filled blast but received something…deeper. It was angsty and difficult at times to read but I was okay with being duped. The first half was hilarious, adorable, and steamy but toward the second half things started to get angsty. The angst that’s in this book isn’t just there because the author couldn’t think of anything better to do. It serves a purpose. And it was so heartwarming to see these characters truly grow and become better versions of themselves.

Grey Brooks is at bit of a standstill in her career after ending her six year stint on Poison Paradise, which is a teen soap opera (think Riverdale). Ethan Atkins is an A-Lister whose life went off the rails a few years back after the death of his best friend. He’s spent the better part of those years in a drunken haze—which is why, when his publicist suggests that he fake dates one of his clients (Grey) to, he begrudgingly agrees, if only to satisfy his publicist. He wants to make a comeback and show the word that he is Okay (including his ex-wife and children). Grey is hopeful that by agreeing to this plan she will finally get Hollywood to take her seriously. Or at least for them to even notice her, truly notice her. Plus, it doesn’t help that the man she has to fake date is her celebrity crush when she was younger. We all know how fake dating schemes though…it always ends up real.

The amount of emotions this book made me go through is insane. Laughing, crying, swooning, annoyance, you name it. I was immediately connected to Ethan and Grey as characters despite the fact that they were messy. I think it was because they were a mess that I found it so easy to love them (even when I really wanted to hate them). Full disclosure despite the sugary sweet cover and blurb How to Fake it in Hollywood is a heavy hitter. It deals heavily with grief, alcoholism, and mental health. Even when things were fluffy between Ethan and Grey there was always this looming sense of dread in the background. The audience knew what was coming and so did our characters which made it bittersweet.

I am really astounded by how well these topics were handled. There was none of that “I can fix him/she can fix me” going on. There was but ultimately at the end of the day the characters had to come to a realization that it’s not a healthy to thrust that responsibly on someone else. They had to accept the help in the first place for it to even more. There was no sugar coating going on: it doesn’t matter how much you love someone, you can’t magically “cure” someone of alcoholism or depression. Obviously I don’t want to go into spoilers but I felt like it was necessary to be upfront because I feel like the cover/blurb is a tad misleading.

The romance between Grey and Ethan was so overwhelming. Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes because I eat up the tension, the slowburn, the whole “there is no way ___ will ever truly love me.” Sometimes I just sit there like a Disney villain and cackle because come on. Come on! They are always so delusional and idiotic but we still love it anyways. Surprisingly, the author didn’t drag out the whole delusional part that long which is refreshing because some of these books takes like 80% just to get to that point. I was so emotionally connected and invested to these characters that they had me legit crying over dumb stuff (waffles…iykyk). The spice was…Yeah. It was for sure spicy but it was also super tender and had me all up in my feels. And the side characters were wonderful too! They were fleshed out better than I would have initially thought. Nora (Ethan’s ex-wife) really said No Thanks to being the vindictive ex-wife. She was such a sweetheart and a total badass—I love that she genuinely was one of Ethan and Grey’s biggest supporters. Kamilah was also delightful along with Audrey, Lucas, and Renata. I just have so much love for these characters.

Read this if you like:
❄️ fake dating
❄️ age gaps (between consenting adults & won’t make you feel icky or weird)
❄️ hollywood/pop culture
❄️ well rounded characters
❄️ fluff w/ a heavy dose of angst
❄️ if you hate the “love interest cures all trauma” trope
❄️ the sunshine/grumpy trope

✨4.5 out of 5 stars✨

Everything you could want in a ROM COM!!!

Grey Brooks is an actress who has been out of work since her teen drama ended a year ago. She is desperately trying to advance her career into more adult roles.
Ethan Atkins is a former A list movie star who hasn't acted in years following the death of his best friend for which he blames himself, his high profile divorce, and his decline into a world of solitude, depression and alcoholism.

When their shared publicist Audrey comes up with a scheme to give both of their careers the jumpstart they both desperately need, neither Grey nor Ethan is in a position to decline. After all, they are actors. Faking a relationship for 6 months should be a piece of cake, right!?!?!?

I ADORED this book. It had everything you need in a perfect rom com:
Fake romance? ✔️
Will they, won't they sexual tension? ✔️
Steamy romance scenes? ✔️
Huge obstacle that forces them apart? ✔️
Overcoming obstacle and having a happily ever after ending? ✔️ ✔️ ✔️

While this book was a bit tough for me because there were some bits that hit super close to home, I absolutely could not put it down and CANNOT wait for some more Ava Wilder books!

I give this book 5 stars!