I loved this book! It has so much depth disguised under that cute cover and a trope for every romance reader—fake dating, celebrity romance, age gap. The author tackles subjects of mental health, addiction, and grief while still maintaining the lighthearted vibe and happy-ever-after one expects from the genre. I’d recommend this book to fans of Abby Jimenez or Emily Henry, and I look forward to reading Wilder’s next book!

Harlequin Junkie Recommended Read!

Don't let the cover fool you–How to Fake it in Hollywood might look like a rom-com, but it is actually an emotionally-charged romance with so much depth and angst, heartbreak and inspiration, that readers will be breathless by the end.

What an intense, crazy-good ride! I truly did think How to Fake it in Hollywood would be on the lighthearted side. Boy wasn't I in for a surprise. But not in a bad way. Author Ava Wilder's debut followed actors Grey and Ethan while they tried to sell a fake relationship to the world in an effort to boost their careers. In this kind of trope you'd expect some awkwardness between them while they got to know each other, some sparks to fly chemistry-wise, and for Ethan and Grey to eventually fall in love. In actuality, the spin Wilder put on it was so much deeper.

Grey and Ethan's relationship did start off a tad awkward, not only because they'd never met before but also because there was an age gap of about eleven years–and their careers were at very different places. Starry-eyed Grey met her Hollywood crush and realized that Ethan was very different from his persona. He was still grieving the loss of his longtime best friend Sam and sadly not in a healthy way, turning to alcohol and seclusion instead of therapy. And Grey herself, while she didn't take any guff off of Ethan, was still finding her way after the end of her first big successful acting gig. Even after her famous role on a teen soap opera, the industry wasn't taking her seriously as an adult actress.

It was when Ethan and Grey finally gave in to their attraction that the countdown to implosion began. Wilder didn't hold back on the gritty, raw emotions they both felt as their lives changed and they tried to make room for each other in their struggles. Through the sorrowful scenes where Ethan faced down his loss and his poor choices to Grey having to decide if she could continue with him sabotaging their relationship–and his own life in general–it was full of turmoil. But don't worry. If you hang on until the sweet ending, Wilder will have you believing in second chances. And that true love is always worth fighting for.

Grey is trying to keep her acting career on track and is getting desperate enough to agree to her publicist's proposal to be seen with another actor that need some good publicity. What Grey doesn't expect is that it is Ethan Atkins, an actor she had a poster of one her wall as a teenager. Ethan does not want to do this but he doesn't have much of a choice. What neither expects is for them to form a connection that ends up in the tabloids. How do they figure out what is real and what is fake?

I went into this book expecting a steamy rom-com and was left with SO much more. It navigates loss, addiction, and childhood trauma while also showing the true effects these things have on relationships and families. These characters connect on another level and it was amazing to experience. To know that this is a debut novel is just incredible! I will be looking for more from this author in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Based on the cover, I thought How to Fake it in Hollywood was going to be a light, swoony rom-com. What I found was a deep story, with complex characters dealing with past trauma. While the romance between Ethan and Grey was plenty swoony, they had great chemistry, their romance was secondary to their growth but I wasn’t mad about it. I really enjoyed the writing and all of the characters. I appreciated that Ethan’s addiction was his own responsibility and how Grey was portrayed as a women whose partner is an addict. Fans of the fake dating trope looking for a deeper plot will enjoy this.

I had to request to read and review this one after two good friends recommended it, and it did not disappoint. Fake dating takes on a fun spin in this debut novel when Grey and Ethan enter into an agreement to date to enhance their careers.

I loved the dual point of view that takes their relationship so much further than the contract they sign, giving us an incredible story of love, friendship and family. Wilder manages to cover a variety of tough topics mental health struggles, divorce, addiction, loss and grief with such care and honesty.

"What is your heart telling you?" Grey tried to laugh, but it came out more as a sigh. "I don't know. When I try to listen to is, all I can hear is the dial-up modem sound. Is that bad?" "Maybe you need to unplug it and plug it back in again," Kamilah giggled. "I think I just need to return it. It's obviously defective."

Wilder impressed me with her debut novel, with swoon-worthy romance and a fast pace that kept me turning the pages that were full of an openness that was so relatable. The way she wrote banter and angst into these characters gave a great blend of the Hollywood A-list drama I was hoping for and the behind-the-scenes that showed their true selves, full of emotion.

Pick it up if you love a rom-com with a lot of heart that gives you the happily ever after feels and characters that grow together through their struggles.

Thank you to Random House Ballantine + NetGalley for the chance to read and review this title in exchange for my honest review, I gave this one 4.5 stars and looking forward to reading more from Wilder!

fake dating, behind the scenes of hollywood - count me in. i loved grey and ethan. i felt like we got enough story to make them both full human characters, as well as a few side character moments, without anything dragging on for too long. i honestly loved this, and once i got a few chapters in, i couldn't put it down!

tw: alcohol abuse

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This book was not the cute little RomCom that I thought it would be. It hit on some hard topics. I also didn't agree with some things that Grey did and said. Her telling Ethan he has a drinking problem, and her still drinking bothered me. She should have been more supportive. I also didn't feel the chemistry between them.

This was quite a debut novel! Going into it, I had the impression it would be a lighthearted rom com with fake dating. Although there was the fake dating aspect, this story was so much more than a romance. Many realistic and tough issues were addressed - grief after a loved one passes and addiction to alcohol, all of which are handled very well. Ms Wilder takes you backstage, behind the Hollywood glamor and gives you a good look at the raw and gritty reality. Grey is actress who had some success, but is still trying to make a name for herself. Ethan is an Oscar-winning actor whose life has recently been nothing but downhill. From divorce to losing his partner and best friend, his life has just been on big struggle. A highly publicized relationship with a beautiful actress is just what he needs to get his life and career back on track. What starts out fake doesn't take long to turn into real attraction and feelings. Ethan and Grey pulled me into their world from the start and I became invested in seeing how things end. Ms. Wilder did a nice job of creating a story that really draws you in. An emotional, gripping story that had me glued till the end. I will definitely be looking for more of her books in the future.

I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Grey is a 27-year-old just out of work, actress, still trying for her big break. Currently jobless, she accepts a deal made by her publicist to fake a relationship with another star, Ethan Atkins. He is dealing with a ton of issues with a lot of alcohol. The only thing that these two have in common is that their careers are in need of a boost and the only way to do that is if they’re in a fake relationship.

I loved the fake-dating aspect and the push and pull of each characters. It definitely wasn’t a light and fluffy romance. Both Ethan and Grey's characters were well developed and had real issues that made it easy to connect with them and root for them as they tried to cope with their struggles.

ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Contemporary Romance

How to Fake it in Hollywood is the story of a Hollywood starlet who has been set up with an A-lister superstar to be in a fake romantic relationship. While Grey Brooks tries to keep her career active after the end of the soap opera she was working in, Ethan Atkins has been in the spotlight for the wrong reasons be it his drinking problems, his high-profile divorce, and his grief over losing his best friend and partner Sam. As per his agent, he needed a strong comeback.

The gorgeous cover of the book has caught my attention. I love reading stories about fictional Hollywood celebrities. Although not all authors can capture the Hollywood atmosphere and limelight, I can pleasantly say that Ava Wilder was successfully able to achieve that.

The chemistry between the two main characters worked for me. Yes, it started with physical attraction first but then it gradually got deeper than that. Looking at the cover you might think this is purely a rom-com story. However, it is more than this as it tackles some serious subjects like alcohol addiction, grieving the death of a friend, and divorce.

I believe this is Ava Wilder’s debut novel. I liked her writing style and the way she kept the pace consistent. This was a very entertaining story. It met my expectations.

Many thanks to the publisher Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Dell, and NetGalley for providing me with an advance reader copy of this book.

This book was enjoyable. The celebrity storyline was believable and had me wondering about the celebrity romances we read about in real life….how many of them are PR stunts? Also, celebrity sex tapes are a violation of privacy.
The main characters, Grey and Ethan are well developed, and realistically flawed. Ethan broke my heart. The themes of grief, and addiction that the book centered around were palpable and sad. The relationship between Grey and her mother, and her feeling like she never had a childhood is sad. This is the reason I wouldn’t consider it a romantic comedy. These themes are heavy and important. They do not provide any comic relief. This story doesn’t leave you feeling lighthearted.
Several romance tropes ( fake dating, age gap, one bed, second chance, tragic hero) are cleverly used in the telling of this story. They are weaved into the plot in plausible ways. The sexual tension between Grey and Ethan built and combusted at just the right time. I found myself rooting for them, wanting them to be together. Great sexy banter and sexy times!

Kudos to Ava Wilder for writing an emotional and poignant debut! Thank you to NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for a copy of this e-ARC

Pub Date 6/14/2022
TW: Addiction, Trauma, Grief
🌶🌶🌶

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

Rating: 3.5/5

How to Fake it In Hollywood is a fun and funny romance that draws you in right out of the gates. Grey is endearing, hilarious, strong, and relatable; from the first page she’s someone you want to root for. Ethan is, frankly, just about everything I want out of a love interest: grumpy, dilf, grey steaks in his hair, absolutely down bad for Grey. This has all the makings of a great summer romance, with a healthy dose of fun tropes thrown in. Fake dating, one bed trope—it’s hard to go wrong with these.

I absolutely blew through this book. Romances about famous people are just so much fun to me, and this one hit all the right notes for that. For the first two thirds of the book, this was a solid 4.5 for me—and even at the end, I really did enjoy it! Where it didn’t quite work for me was the pacing at the end. After the first major conflict, everything felt like it happened too quickly; major events were sped through, and the resolution happens too easily and with a convenient time skip that glosses over everything juicy. Beyond this, I do dock it a bit based solely on personal taste; towards the end there are some tropes I personally just am not a fan of, and it did bring down my enjoyment.

Overall, this is a fun and entertaining romance read that feels made for the summer. I would definitely still recommend it!

This one took me a while to get interested in, but once I did, I found it pretty interesting. It deals with some heavier topics that might not be apparent from the very romcom-y type cover. I should definitely stop judging books by their covers lol. Anyway, I liked this! I would probably not recommend this to people looking for a romcom, but it is a more realistic story of people overcoming their issues in order to have a healthy relationship.

DNF - for now, i unfortunately couldn’t get into this book but i can see myself reading it in the future. just not for me rn!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫- { HOW TO FAKE IT IN HOLLYWOOD - Ava Wilder }

This was not your typical light and breezy romance where some silly obstacle prevents the main characters from getting together but once they do they have amazing sex and ride off in the sunset. There was amazing sex, but there were some serious hurdles like Ethans alcoholism and past emotional traumas that made this a much more dramatic read then I was anticipating.
There were times I was cringing at just how pathetic and self destructive Ethan was. I wanted to scream at him to pull himself together! My heart ached for Ethan and Grey because they were both so vulnerable in their own ways and ended up so codependent on each other due to their issues. It almost felt like two different books because the first half was definitely not as serious as the second half became. I enjoyed how real and raw it got…love and life are like that sometimes ❤️‍🩹

Thanks to @netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

TW: alcoholism, death of loved one

This book was not quite what I was expecting. It was honest, real, and serious in many ways. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it.

Typically, when I think about and read fake dating tropes (especially Hollywood ones), there is quite a bit of fun to be had. The two people in the fake relationship are at each other's throats or making up wild stories about how they met, etc. This book was a little different. While there was a bit of fun towards the beginning of the book, it was always overshadowed by a more serious issue. I think I would have liked more lighthearted/fun scenes, but I understand why the hard-hitting content was necessary.

Ethan, our love interest, has lots of issues. He's not perfect by any means and I really loved that. The whole book is an exploration of his and Grey's relationship, yes, but also of his growth and recovery. He had so much to work through in this book so it was really interesting to see how things played out.

I really loved Grey as a character. She was strong, funny, and not afraid to go for what she wanted. She was exactly what Ethan needed to kickstart his life once more.

I really don't have much more to say about this book. It was a good read. Again, a bit more on the serious side, but really good nevertheless. I recommend.

I devoured this book in one sitting. It’s that good. I can’t believe this is a debut novel as the characters, plot and writing were perfect and made what could have been just another Hollywood rom com so much more. I loved the chemistry between Grey and Ethan and appreciated the way that Wilder investigated issues like abuse, addiction, grief, and recovery to show us that life and love aren’t always picture perfect.

Thank you to Netgalley and Ava Wilder for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.25🌟 Fake dating in Hollywood? Two of my favorite things in one?! We are following Grey and Ethan as they navigate a PR relationship in the public eye. Ethan is dealing with immense grief surrounding the loss of a friend, while Grey tries to conquer imposter syndrome within her career, after not booking projects for an extended period of time.

There are so many ups and downs in this story, all of which felt really grounded and believable. I loved the way they dealt with their problems, both together and apart. The side characters also felt three-dimensional and I loved the dynamics they brought to the story. The banter between Grey and Ethan was so funny and sweet, and I really believed the way they slowly but surely began to fall for each other. This deals with heavier topics, so please check content warnings before reading.

*Thank you to Random House Publishing (Ballantine) and NetGalley for the eARC!

There was so much more to this romance than I expected from the fun cover. I felt Grey and Ethan had amazing chemistry from their first meeting, and while there are many fun moments in their story, they also had to work hard for their relationship. I like it when books make it clear that love isn't easy - and life isn't easy. Addiction stories can be so hard, but I appreciate the author taking her time with them, and getting both wonderful characters to better places, for themselves and for each other