4.5 stars! I absolutely devoured this book. I read almost the entire thing in one sitting on a plane and I can't remember the last time I got sucked into a book like that.

This had truly everything I could ask for-- famous people, fake dating, age gap, dual POV and a serious master class in tension. I really liked both Ethan and Grey and though they were not without flaws, they were fully developed characters with great chemistry. The tension in this is so so good-- not super explicit steam but the buildup reminded me a lot of the Roommate by Rosie Danan.

This book has unfortunately gotten the cartoon cover treatment which I think will definitely be misleading to people. I had seen other reviews saying that it was quite dark in parts and so went in accordingly, but this is definitely not the cutesy rom com that the cover suggests. I really enjoyed the book overall but had expectations to match, which I think is an important part of the experience.

That being said, I thought it was very thoughtful how Wilder handled difficult topics like alcoholism, fame and pressure. This has been one of my favorite romances of the year and I can't wait to see what Wilder comes up with next.

This is one of those books you need to go into completely blind. The first half reads like a great romantic comedy, there's a fake celebrity relationship and tons of banter and then the second half sweeps you into deeper emotional side of our main characters the entire time weaving in nods to modern celebrity gossip. Read this in two days because I just could not put it down, plus I'm convinced Ethan was inspired by Ben Affleck!

I've always loved books centered around Hollywood and acting, and How to Fake it in Hollywood ticked off that wheelhouse item for me.

Grey Brooks is looking for her next big role after her six-season TV show has come to a close. When her publicist comes to her with an offer to date Ethan Atkins, an incredibly famous actor who has lied low for the past couple of years, as a PR stunt, she accepts. Ethan and Grey are now contractually obligated to hang out together and make public appearances, and start to fall for one another.

While How to Fake it in Hollywood has similar beats to a typical romance novel, it didn't feel to me like it stuck strictly to the romance novel script which I really appreciated. The characters felt like real people to me, Grey struggling with her career and Ethan struggling with the death of his close friend and heavy alcoholism. I also appreciated the deviation from the "vengeful ex-wife" trope that can tend to happen in these stories, Nora was a delight and so supportive of Grey!

If you like fiction about Hollywood, fake-dating, and age-gap romances, I think you'll like this book! Trigger warning for alcoholism.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an angsty yet cute fake-dating-plus-age-gap trope book. I don’t usually like age gap books but I felt this one didn’t have a huge enough age gap to be a major setback.

Grey is a 27 yo television actress and Ethan is 38 yo movie actor that is coping with some loss by drinking and addiction (aka barely coping). Their publicist concocts this fake dating scheme to get them both some good press and they, of course, fall for each other along the way.

I enjoyed the characters but I didn’t really see the chemistry between Ethan and Grey. I liked the dual narratives and the background scenes of Hollywood.

If you’re into fake dating and Hollywood fiction, this might be a good read for you. Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 Stars. I really loved this book and I wish it wasn't over!! I loved how Grey and Ethan met and were forced together and how it ended for them. Though it wasn't easy, it was swoony, steamy and romantic. I loved the growth that both their characters went through during the story and I wanted more. I keep thinking I can just pick the book back up and keep reading even though I finished. Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine for the ARC.

I enjoyed this book a lot. What I thought would be a super fun read was indeed fun, but also gritty and emotional. I immediately became engrossed in this story and loved these characters. The writing is so good - I can’t believe this is a debut for Ava Wilder.

I loved this journey that Grey and Ethan went on- fake dating for publicity to help restart both their careers- but things got real very quickly. Things also got spicy!! 🌶🔥

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Ballantine for the opportunity to read this advanced copy.

TW: Substance abuse.

Grey is a thirty something tv actress who gets set up by their publicist to be fake dating mega-super star Ethan. After the death of his best friend and the breakup of his marriage, Ethan's life has gone off the rails and he needs some good PR to get his public life back together. The problem is, Ethan is not committed to helping himself. With Grey as his fake girlfriend, can he rehab his image without pulling her down too? Will they fall in love for real and will it work out?

I do love a mortal/celebrity pairing and this one was fun. I really liked Grey and her friendships and career goals (yes, a woman can have goals!) Her relationship with Ethan did at times frustrate me (but I think it was supposed to.) Themes about media and celebrity and different jobs in the film industry added to this book and my enjoyment. It does have some spicy scenes but they were necessary to the book.

This is a fun rom com plus and would be a good addition to your summer reading list.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

I loved that this wasn’t a cutesy rom com but had real emotions and angsty characters. Written with heart! Great debut!

Grey Brooks was on a successful show for years, but after it finished, she is floundering. Ethan Atkins used to be at the top, but now is an alcoholic recluse. Put together as a PR couple, real feelings develop.

I loved this book. The grumpy male MC with a sassy female MC was such fun and I was truly invested in the relationship. There were some moments that made me nervous that it was heading into A Star Is Born territory. If you like pop culture and behind the scenes/celebrity topics, this is a great read.

Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

I love a celebrity romance (not to mention fake dating?!). And I'm always excited for new writers of this genre. This book didn't disappoint on both of those fronts.

Even though I sometimes felt worried/anxious about the toxic nature of their relationship (TW alcoholism), I rooted for both Grey and Ethan and their relationship. More than that, these characters stayed with me for days later, as I often felt myself thinking about them and their story!

A great summer read. Think a happily-ending A STAR IS BORN.

Highly recommend!

I loved this book so much! The slow burn, the angst! The way Ethan cared so hard for Grey. I loved how strong Grey was and stood her ground with Ethan every step of the way. This was such a good book. Absolutely adored it

Fake relationships and celebrity romance are just my thing right now. Give me all of it and I will be happy all summer. How to Fake it In Hollywood is the story of Grey and Ethan, two stars at different stages of their career who need a little publicity. Together, in a PR based "relationship" they should be able to boost their images and get their career moving again. Personal struggles, grief, trust issues and so many things are brought to the surface as they become friends and their forced proximity brings them closer.

It was heartbreaking. It was fast paced. It kept me reading way later than I should have because I knew I needed to know how things came together or I wouldn't sleep. I still feel a little attached even now. This was not a light and easy celebrity rom com. This has depth and heart and sadness and will be in my heart and mind for quite a while.

Grey is a rising Hollywood actress, looking for her next big break when she gets the opportunity to enter a fake relationship with former a-list star, Ethan, her childhood celebrity crush. They both need the publicity for different reasons so they agree to a 6 month relationship to get the press they need. While the chemistry between them is undeniable, Ethan is determined to keep Grey at a distance when they are not in public. As they get closer their attraction is more intense which leads them to decide if it is worth trying a real relationship.

I am so impressed with how this romance managed to be so fun while tackling grief, alcoholism, along with other heavy topics. It was a beautiful and honest story that didn’t sugar coat the tough parts of both characters’ lives. However, at the core this was a great romance (and a steamy one at that). The chemistry between Grey and Ethan was so hot and their relationship was full of passion. While the relationship was not always the healthiest, I appreciated how raw and real it was and how this book showed how challenging it can be to open yourself up and be vulnerable. Both characters had a lot of growing to do, and by the end their progress in their personal growth journeys was incredible. This book had me swooning at times, laughing at others, and tearing up at some points. It really hits you in all the feels in the best possible way. This book is an incredible debut and I can’t wait to see what Ava Wilder writes next.

Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the advance copy.

This book was the perfect mix between fake dating and celebrity romance while remaining grounded.

Grey Brooks wants to keep her career strong after the end of the long-running teen soap. She wants people to see her as a serious and talented actress. So after her publicist suggests that she enter a faking dating agreement with Ethan, who I imagined as Ben Affleck. She wants to say no based on principle but she understands that this might be her chance to further her career.

Ethan is struggling. Between his high-profile divorce, his struggle with drinking, and his grief over losing her best friend/writing partner, he is drowning. So Grey is quite literally a breath of fresh air to him. At first, he wants to keep her at arm's length and keep the agreement strictly professional.

Soon the lines start to blur and see how deep their connection runs. Their relationship has a lot of twists and turns but at the end of the day. Their connection is undeniable. Also, I loved how grounded their romance was, especially considering the spectacle aspect of their celebrity status.

This is a well plotted story centered around the fake dating trope between two Hollywood stars, Ethan and Grey.
I really enjoyed this story but be warned this is not a light hearted rom-com tale. It deals with some heavy issues. I liked this read because it is different from all the fluffy romance tales, it’s nice to read a gritty story for a change.
It’s a debut novel too which is surprising because it’s written so well. I really enjoyed this one. It’s still a perfect read for the beach/vacation season, easy to read and still enjoy the sun/sand. Give it a go, I think you will be pleasantly surprised! I was.

4.5 STARS

How To Fake It In Hollywood is an amazing and extremely cute rom-com including everyone’s favorite trope: fake dating. The fake dating in this book is done incredibly well and the story doesn’t seem far-fetched in any way, shape or form. The main characters, Grey and Ethan, have a complicated relationship due to many factors including family problems, alcohol abuse and the death of Ethan’s best friend, Sam, which still affects him to this day. When the relationship finally takes off, the disaster that is the tabloids will come for them in ways they have never imagined. Thank you to Dell and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel!

Loved this so much! Two Hollywood stars fake-dating is totally my jam. The characters were fully fleshed and the personal conflicts were done in a realistic way. There was also rep of a non-binary person that didn’t feel contrived. I flew through this and will definitely be recommending this as a summer read!

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine for an ARC.

Ava Wilder does a great job engaging the reader and her writing is amazing. While I liked this book it left me with mixed feelings. This book definitely has romance but also touches on heavier topics. Overall a cute, sometimes emotional read.

TL;DR: A great read for someone who wants a new take on the romance genre, but it might not be for you if you want something within the traditional romance genre.

This book appears to have all the tropes a romance lover could want with fake dating the one bed, and some slight enemies to lovers vibes, which are three of my personal favorites. Mix in dual POV and an older MMC and you have the perfect formula for a great romance novel. And I was ALL for it. This book ticked all my boxes based on the synopsis. I immediately started reading it.

But once you actually start reading the book, you realize that How to Fake it in Hollywood subverts these tropes in a sense. It is a romance that is supposed to be more than a light read. It is a romance that wants to make you think about the nature of relationships in all its forms: platonic, romantic, familial, and friendships. It wants you to think about how each of those types of relationships impacts people in different ways, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worst. And I really appreciated that while I read it. It makes it different from the other romances I've read where they rely heavily on the tropes of romances before them to carry the story. By playing with these tropes and tipping them on their head in unexpected ways, the author creates a story that is more honest, more meaningful, and more complex than what I was expecting. And that's not a bad thing, especially when the author employs a great writing style, voice, and engaging prose.

I also really loved Grey, the FMC. She is a fully fleshed out, realized, confident character that is not bound by the stereotypes that plague other FMC in romance novels. She is not dependent, passive or overly altruistic toward the MMC and the author makes that very clear. She even makes note of it multiple times within the story. Again, the author is making sure that Grey is her own person and playing with those romance tropes where the female is often accepting of her love interest to the point of docility. That is not Grey.

The reason this book is only getting 4 starts for me is because of Ethan, the MMC. I'm not sure I like him. I rooted for him a fair amount in this book, but he always underwhelmed me and disappointed me. Multiple times I wanted Grey to find someone better than Ethan. I want to root for my romance couple. And I'm not quite sure I was rooting for them. BUT, and this is a big but, I also feel like part of the reason I didn't like him is because he wasn’t what I envision a romance MMC to be. I think that's the point though. Because the author takes this story a different route than a traditional romance, that means the MMC needs to represent more than your stereotypical romance hero. He's struggling, he's got tons of baggage, and dealing with his own issues.

And that is more than fair and valid. But it means that with that choice, it leaves the lingering question of does it take away some of the enjoyment from romance readers who go into this book looking for something light? The author has the absolute right to create her characters however she wants. But the romance genre has tropes for a reason and those tropes are often very successful. And maybe the way this book is advertised, or the way it's described, is a bit misleading to the reader who wants their next book boyfriend, or who wants those tropes, or who wants a more traditional romance storyline.

I want to say thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for an ARC of this book for an honest review!

I loved this book. I was skeptical because this concept is not completely new (Hollywood fake dating) but I enjoyed it nevertheless. I liked that Grey as a strong female and her circle of friends were also strong females. I believe that helped her figure out what is best for her. I liked that her friends didn't tell her what she should or shouldn't do and they did not judge her decisions. There was plenty of sexual tension and the spicy scenes weren't over the top. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends. #HowtoFakeItinHollywood #NetGalley