Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Steam Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥 (very descriptive sex scenes)
Trigger Warning: alcoholism, divorce, death of a loved one, body shaming mentioned briefly

Grey Brooks is hoping to land a big movie role after a lackluster few years as an actress. That's why her publicist proposes a fake relationship between Grey and A-List actor Ethan Atkins. He's been out of the spotlight for five years after his divorce and the death of his best friend. Pretending to date could help give both of their careers a much needed boost. At first they're determined to keep things professional, but that proves to be difficult as they spend more time together. They quickly get more than they bargained for when they're unable to deny their growing feelings while also facing past demons and the pressures of living in the public eye.

I really enjoyed this debut novel from Ava Wilder! Most fake dating tropes are found in romantic comedies, but this read more like a Colleen Hoover type book with its heavy themes of alcoholism, overcoming grief, and the pressures of being a celebrity. Although it's a fastburn, there was plenty of drama to keep things interesting. I really only felt the story drag a little near the 75% mark. Grey and Ethan had a bit of a rough start as they both seemed to be irritated by each other, but they quickly developed a steamy chemistry while also slowly opening up to one another. It was hard to see Ethan struggle with drinking, especially near the end, but I like how Grey handled it. The end of the book wrapped everything up really well without being too easy, and Grey and Ethan both showed growth as individuals. If you like romances that deal with heavy themes, then I would definitely recommend checking this one out!

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

In this story of enemies-to-lovers, two actors with careers that have seemingly flatlined are pushed together to brings things back to life. What I love about this story are the developed characters and the layers to their relationship. The love, fear, and pain that is involved in a relationship when at least one party is an alcoholic was very realistic. Reading this story felt validating for me on a personal level.

Bonus: The author uses a balance of fantastic vocabulary and witty banter throughout.
Can’t wait to see this one adapted for the screen (*nudge nudge* producers).

I adored this book! First off, the cover alone is amazing - it drew me in immediately! I poured through this book in a couple of hours. It was real & raw, very romantic and full of witty banter. The fake dating trope has quickly become one of my faves. Ethan & Grey were wonderful couple. Their pain & histories were real, raw and vulnerable. They were each their own person - complete with their own pain, histories and flaws. They didn't need each other, but they chose each other. This was well paced, and I loved the ending. It wasn't your stereotypical Hallmark-esque, picture perfect ending. While it was a happy ending, the tension and frustration was realistic. I thought all the side-characters were well fleshed out, and I loved Nora & her relationships with both Grey & Ethan.

Overall this book, was sweet, realistic and very enjoyable. Thank you to NetGalley, RandomHouse & Ava Wilder for an ARC of 'How To Fake It in Hollywood'.

Thank you to Random House Ballantine for gifting me this ebook (via NetGalley) for review; How to Fake it in Hollywood by Ava Wilder is a strong contemporary romance, one that I enjoyed more than I expected in terms of depth and simply feeling very pulled into the story. I simply could not put this one down, I found Grey to be a really engaging character and was impressed by thoughtful and well developed themes on the (mis)treatment of young women celebrities in Hollywood, themes on addiction with Ethan's story, and strong secondary characters that allowed for the story to touch on themes of friendship, grief, and family. I also appreciated that a lot of the narrative moved into Grey having her own pathway in her career, of her seeing and taking openings and chances, and for having a strong, never passive, voice in her relationship with Ethan. This was simply a really enjoyable, surprise big hit for me and I think this will be a popular summer read. I look forward to the next work from Ava Wilder, I am a fan!

Recommend for fans of Funny You Should Ask, Birds of California, and Emily Henry's books; these are all to me examples of strong romance books that also have narratives that give emotional depth to the main characters and allow for the individuals, not just relationship, to stand out.

Oh, how I wish I liked this more. I'm all for fake dating novels, but this just felt like two books combined into one without fully realizing either. Grey and Ethan's relationship was cute but underdeveloped, any problems between the two or development happened off page, and the third act felt disjointed from the first and second. The book went from a story of two actors fake dating for publicity to a story about alcoholism and unresolved trauma. Personally, I would've appreciated a bit of warning regarding that kind of storyline for personal reasons but that's neither here nor there. Unfortunately, I overall thought this was a bit underwhelming as a whole and not particularly memorable.

**3,5 Stars**

I very much enjoyed this heartfelt debut novel; the story was raw, angsty, and witty. Grey and Ethan were interesting and complex, and the dual POV gave readers a deeper understanding of their struggles, motivations, and desires.

Grey and Ethan's fake relationship was carefully scripted with strategic outings and overnights, which was a fun take on the fake dating trope. This helped them get to know each other and while the agreement was a way for them to keep a line drawn, it was also a part of what made things real, because it forced them to spend time together.

Where the book fell short for me is that it felt like the author tried to include too many storylines, leaving all of them slightly underdeveloped. A lot was thrown in but not fully explored or resolved. Grey had a complicated relationship with her mom, but apart from a couple strained interactions, nothing really happens between them and it didn't feel like any kind of closure was reached. Ethan was struggling with a lot of personal demons but at times it felt like we weren't getting the full picture or the roots of some those demons weren't completely explored.

This was still a very well-written and lovely debut romance that I would recommend to others and I look forward to more from this author.

Wow, this story was marvelous. How to Fake it in Hollywood is about Grey Brooks, a 27 year old struggling actress who had some success from a few roles (such as a long term run on a teen tv show), but who was largely unrecognizable. After rejection after rejection and not getting any work for quite awhile, she was left with a career that stalled and needed reviving.

Then there’s Ethan Atkins, former heartthrob when Grey was a teenager (he’s older) but he’s now a washed up actor with an addiction to alcohol and preference for living like a hermit. He has a final project that he feels is his duty to complete in order to honor his late best friend & two little girls he would love to spend more time with, but none of that can happen if he can’t prove he has his life together.

When Grey’s and Ethan’s agents come up with a plan to have them fake date each other for a period of 6 months to revive their public image, both parties are hesitant, but both parties also feel sparks flying almost immediately. This is a fake dating story, but one that definitely stands out amongst the rest.

There’s always a formula to fake dating stories and can feel repetitive after awhile, but this story was so much more than what meets the eye. It had heart and soul. It wasn’t all about them ultimately being together, it was about each of their individual journeys to respect and love themselves. You can’t truly love other people unless you love yourself first.

Both characters were wonderful & their flaws were so completely human. No matter what mistakes either of them made; they felt real. Ethan and Grey also had wonderful dialogue and a lot of sexual tension oozing from the pages, which is always enjoyable to read.
Ava Wilder created a masterful story that was truly unpredictable, and I fell in love with it.

If you enjoy reading about Hollywood drama and scandals, fake dating romances, second chances, age gap relationships (a lot of times I even forgot there was one), and a story of redemption and growth, then you’ll love this story.

This incredible story will be available as of June 14, 2022, and I would like to give a huge thank you to Ava Wilder, NetGalley, and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Big thanks to Netgalley & Random House Publishing - Ballantine for this arc of How to Fake It in Hollywood by Ava Wilder! This is out on 06/14!

Two Hollywood stars needing a reputation boost get together via PR cupids and fake a romance fit for the tabloids. I was invested in the way someone would be who dreams of getting with their childhood crush who's poster may or may not still be up in their childhood bedroom (lookin at you Usher). I was so happy for Grey getting that for herself, fake or not. These two characters had so many layers to their personality and reasons for what they were doing it was hard not to want them to succeed. Towards the middle I started to feel like I wasn't believing it anymore though, and it got a little too good to be true, and then right around then it started turning around. Ethan is going through it. He was probably my favorite character in this book. I thought his character growth was top notch and pretty realistic. The way the 2nd half of this book sort of blows up actually made this for me because it kept me wanting more when I probably should've been like alright get on with it.

The pacing of this story actually makes sense, the conflict makes sense, and the ending...makes sense. I thought this would be more romcommy and I think thats when I THOUGHT it was dragging but really it was just about so much more than being funny, cute and quick. I loved that by the end.

TW(s) for alcoholism, grief, substance abuse, privacy violations

A PR stunt puts together seasoned actor thinking about a comeback Ethan Atkins with actress Grey Brooks, who is searching for her next part, in a fake dating situation as they help to bolster each other’s reputation in How to Fake it in Hollywood. This was a lot heavier a read than it’s adorable cover leads you to believe, but the writing is lovely and the characters are so endearing. This book tackles addiction as Ethan battles the loss of his friend from years ago with alcohol. His addiction is difficult, he has so much work to do for himself and such a desire to be loved, and his journey is well done, although I did want more from him in the end in terms of seeing his perspective. And Grey is so wonderful. She’s funny and full of spunk and attitude and I just really rooted for her. I also loved their chemistry together and their banter. It was fun and quick and really entertaining! I loved the side characters too, they added so much to the growth of the main characters and they felt well developed and I was just really invested in the lives of all of these people. It is well paced and captivating and just a really enjoyable read!

Fake dating. Close proximity. Spicy scenes. Scandal. A little bit everything for your romance reader and I absolutely loved it!

This book was the perfect representation of life after loss and dealing with sobriety. The twist and turns has me very engaged and the ending nearly had me shedding a tear

I LOVE a fake dating trope, but this book was not what I expected at all. I thought it was going to be a romance novel with Hollywood glamour, and it was more of a relationship that was toxic at times due to alcohol abuse. While the synopsis mentioned Ethan’s struggles with alcohol, I just assumed that was going to be in the past when he was grieving the death of his friend. However, his alcoholism plays a major role in the book, making it hard to read at times.

I got 81% through the book and decided not to finish it. The alcohol abuse was just a little too much for me and this was not the light, fun read I wanted it to be. Maybe if I had been better prepared going into the book, I would have enjoyed it more.

I loved this book! It was a solid rom-com book about Hollywood with some heavy subject seamlessly weaved in. I loved the character's banter and chemistry. I was hooked from page one and couldn't put it down. It reminded me of another book about a fake Hollywood relationship--The View was Exhausting--in the best way possible. I would recommend this book to any one who enjoys rom-com books, the strangers-to-friends-to-lovers troupe, or books about Hollywood.

When I read the blurb and saw the cover I knew I had to read this book! I love a good fake dating trope. Add in a Hollywood spin and I was hooked from the beginning, falling absolutely in love with these characters. But what starts as your regular comfort-read romcom - light, fluffy and slightly predictable - quickly goes much deeper into some heavier topics. I love how this author wasn't afraid to show real life difficulties and struggles and didn't completely glamorize the Hollywood life. This book ended up being so much more than I expected and I absolutely loved it! What a fantastic debut and I'll for sure be hoping for more releases from this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House-Ballantine for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
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How to Fake it in Hollywood definitely wasn't what I was expecting, but in a good way. I went into this book expecting a lighthearted fake-dating book, and got something much more layered.

On top of the fake dating, the characters have their own struggles, and I really enjoyed the way Wilder handled them.

This book was not what I expected. Typically when I see covers like this I expect a light hearted Rom-Com and that was not what this book was. The story line was intriguing but the characters lacked the chemistry I need in a romance

5 stars!! This book caught me off guard. I was expecting a cute rom com and this was so much more. I wasn’t expecting how deep this book went. I loved the characters. I loved how serious it got and how they over came it. How accountability made me love this book even more. Ava Wilder books will be an automatic buy from now one.

The heroine pees after sex which automatically makes this a five-star book for me. This is a fun rom com that deals with heavy topics like the pressure of expectations, addiction, and grief. Fake dating is a favorite trope of mine and it worked so well here!

Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

A talented Hollywood starlet and an established but reclusive A-lister enter into a mutually beneficial fake relationship. After reading the summary, I was expecting to read an entertaining rom-com. Instead it is a love story that does a good job of handling some hard, touchy subjects. Overall this is a good read with good character development.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review.

I would rate it a solid 3.5.

Just finished HTFIIH last night and wow. This book gave me all the feels: warm fuzzies, swoons, smiles, laughs, tears, heartache... you name it. I love that this book tackled tough subjects. There were so many uncomfortable moments that really added depth to this book. It was great watching both characters grow, but separately and together as a couple. Will definitely be picking up more from Ava Wilder!