I had a good time reading this, but overall I didn't love it. I especially didn't love Ethan's storyline, because I felt like his recovery was really rushed by the end when we just made a quick time jump and it was all solved. I think the last 10% of the book should have been at least 30% of the book and I wanted to see more of them getting back together, because I felt like this was really glossed over when that is the point of a romance novel.

Thank you for the advance copy! Coming from someone who works in the industry, fake relationships do happen. More so, make sure people see them walking around. This book does a great thing of having the certain tropes many people like fake dating, forced proximity, there's one bed, love/hate each other it's a good read. My only issue was 1) the build-up to their first sex scene was great, but then it seemed like although they desired each other, it was lackluster as well, and 2) yes, I understand Ethan's issues with he views himself I also felt annoyed when everything was going great and then boom lack of communication trope that caused more issues. Overall quick read and hope others enjoy it.

This book was so fun! I found the beginning a bit slow, but was quickly invested. Ethan and Grey are such a cute match and their chemistry was written phenomenally. This book reminds me of another favorite of mine: Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman!!

As a person that reads a lot of romance, I always look for a few key things: Well-developed supporting characters, subplots (it is about the romance, but also so much more) and chemistry/tension. This book had all three!

There was a nice mixture of fluff, tension and character development (as one of the main characters battles with addiction). I really enjoyed this one.

Solid 4.5/5. Thank you Dell and Random House Publishing Group for the eARC!

I enjoyed this one a lot, but it was a lot heavier than what I normally want in my romances. Despite this, I thought Grey and Ethan had a lot of chemistry and I enjoyed the way their relationship evolved throughout the book and especially the way Grey handled Ethan and his downward spiral. This book was pretty steamy, too, and I will say that the major issue I had with the romance was how they decided to sleep together to relieve the tension, rather than this just happening naturally. It did take some of the anticipation out of it. Overall, a very enjoyable, steamy read and perfect for contemporary romance fans, especially those who enjoy fake dating and Hollywood tropes. I would love to read more from this author. 4 stars.

I would like to thank NetGalley for an ARC of How to Fake it in Hollywood, by Ava Wilder.

When I first read about this book I was immediately wanted to read it. Then I saw it consisted of fake dating and I was hooked. This story flowed so well I couldn’t ask for more. The main character are Grey and Ethan. They both had good development throughout the book. I highly recommend this book!

I love a fake dating trope and this one did not disappoint! The book and characters had a lot more depth than I was expecting for a celebrity romance story. There are some heavy subjects, but lots of growth. I really enjoyed it!
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for the arc. All opinions are my own.

I love the celebrity trope. It’s one of my absolute favorites. As I’ve said before, I’m not always a huge fan of the fake dating trope but celebrities fake dating and a dual POV? Give it to me! Once I heard about How to Fake it in Hollywood by Ava Wilder, I knew I had to read it so I was so excited that I got approved for the ARC. I devoured this book. It wasn’t what I was expecting but in the best way and this book made me feel allll the emotions.

I fell in love with both Ethan and Grey as a couple and as people. They are both such lovable characters and I connected with them instantly. I love good banter and these two had great banter and chemistry right from their first meeting. It was a little bit of a slow burn but it wasn’t too slow that you were just screaming for them to get together already. Both characters had great character development and it just made them better together. It did deal with some heavy topics and Ava Wilder did a great job with the characters emotions. My heart hurt for Ethan (and Grey) and I just wanted to give him a hug and was rooting for him to succeed. I loved this book and am looking forward to more from Ava Wilder! If you liked A Star Is Born, you’ll love this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC! How to Fake it in Hollywood will be available on June 14, 2022 and I can’t wait to buy a copy.

I just loved this book so much. It is definitely not a light rom-com, but instead a very deep and emotionally filled journey to Ethan and Gray's happy ending. The chemistry and connection between the two main characters felt feel and palpable. I was rooting for them the whole time and stayed up way too late racing to read to the end. The writing was beautiful and I am so impressed this is Ava Wilder's debut. I'm definitely a fan for life now!

This book was hard to review because the writing, flow, characters, etc were all great. It was easy to get into and easy to read. So for all the technical components I give it a good rating. But personally I did not like the content. Besides the very typical and predictable trope situation it was just not for me. Very much an open door, some language and the conflict part of the storyline was just annoying. Also, for those who would want a heads up one of the characters is non-binary. Reading “them/their” was very confusing. I made it about 65% of the way through and just put it away. I wasn’t compelled to finish it. So while the author is a great writer and story teller the book was not for me.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Wow! Where to even begin with this book. I requested this book after Ashley Winstead posted about it in her stories recommending it. I know it would be an amazing book, but I didn’t know how much I would fall in love with these characters and not know what to do without them in my life! Ava Wilder did such an amazing job with the character development throughout the book and I thought it was amazing how she incorporated a character dealing with addiction and how trauma can play a huge role in addiction.

I found myself rooting for both Grey and Ethan the entire novel and I just felt so connected to them. I think Wilder did such an amazing job helping the reader relate to the characters (even though shockingly we aren’t all A list celebrities LOL). She does such a great job showing you what it’s like to fall in love, with another person and even with yourself. Overall, I will be screaming this book at the top of my lungs to anyone who wants to listen to me. I cannot wait till it is released and I can buy a copy for my shelves!

This review will be posted to my Instagram blog (read_betweenthecovers) in the near future!

Although it wasn’t quite what I was expecting, I REALLY enjoyed this book. There was a depth to this book, both in the plot and characters. The author did a great job of creating a world I felt I could just step into. She challenged stereotypes in a way that didn’t feel overly forced. It simply created a sense of normalcy. My biggest complaint is that I felt the emotions could go a bit deeper. Yes, I felt them, but it seemed like there was always something holding back. But this was an incredible debut for the author. I can’t wait to see what they write next.

Review:
Grey and Ethan are very similar, both actors struggling to find their next roles and their future in the industry; and they are both trying to see if they can make a comeback. For all their similarities, they are in very different positions. Ethan is an established actor who successes, credits, awards and accolades. Grey is finally trying to put her long running teen series behind her and find some control in her future by creating her own projects and opportunities. Here enters the fake dating idea. I was not sure I would like these characters in this circumstance, I was worried it would become some kind of TomKat expose, but I was delighted to find that was not the plan at all. I felt vague recollections about other hollywood scandals without feeling like I was reading about a specific one about real people.
Grey and Ethan are complicated, complex people with flaws and a lot of trauma in their lives and as they spend more time together they seem to get more and more attached, but their issues follow them throughout their relationship, until they realize they need to work on themselves.

This book both felt like a fun summer read and a romance with many of my favorite tropes, but I soon changed my mind and realized that there was more than what appeared on the surface and I found myself falling in love with these truly flawed people who work hard to try and find happiness both alone and together.

Synopsis:
Grey Brooks is on a mission to keep her career afloat now that the end of her long-running teen TV show has her (unsuccessfully) pounding the pavement again. With a life-changing role on the line, she’s finally desperate enough to agree to her publicist’s scheme: fake a love affair with a disgraced Hollywood heartthrob who needs the publicity, but for very different reasons.

Ethan Atkins just wants to be left alone. Between his high-profile divorce, struggles with drinking, and grief over the death of his longtime creative partner and best friend, Ethan has slowly let himself fade into the background. But if he ever wants to produce the last movie he and his partner wrote together, Ethan needs to clean up his reputation and step back into the spotlight. A gossip-inducing affair with a gorgeous actress might be just the ticket, even if it’s the last thing he wants to do.

Though their juicy public relationship is less than perfect behind the scenes, it doesn’t take long before Grey and Ethan’s sizzling chemistry starts to feel like more than just an act. But after decades in a ruthless industry that requires bulletproof emotional armor to survive, are they too used to faking it to open themselves up to the real thing?

This was flipping fantastic. I don't mean for this to sound like a backhanded compliment but this book was better than what I was expecting it to be. I cannot wait to recommend this book to everyone I know.

If you're a fan of Hollywood romances, I think you'll love this book. It was done so well and the writing is absolutely engaging. I couldn't stop reading it. It was a well-rounded story, more than just your typical romance, it definitely had heart to it. The characters were thought out and more than one dimensional.

I was expecting a fluffy romance but Ava Wolder had me by the throat with feelings. This was such an amazing book. I loved the careful discussion and representation of a character who deals with addiction. The emotional impact of the book was far beyond the standard of a fluffy romance and I enjoyed it thoroughly!

rating: 4.5 / 5

i *loved* this book. i think a lot of the relationship and the faults that came with it was incredibly authentic and didn't seem far-fetched about what would've happened if this relationship were real. both of the characters are flawed and recognize their faults and work on themselves. the writing style was wonderful and i'd 100% read another ava wilder book. i think it was beautifully crafted, even in the parts that were completely frustrating lol

Synopsis:

Grey Brooks is on a mission to keep her career afloat now that the end of her long-running teen TV show has her (unsuccessfully) pounding the pavement again. With a life-changing role on the line, she’s finally desperate enough to agree to her publicist’s scheme: fake a love affair with a disgraced Hollywood heartthrob who needs the publicity, but for very different reasons.

Ethan Atkins just wants to be left alone. Between his high-profile divorce, struggles with drinking, and grief over the death of his longtime creative partner and best friend, Ethan has slowly let himself fade into the background. But if he ever wants to produce the last movie he and his partner wrote together, Ethan needs to clean up his reputation and step back into the spotlight. A gossip-inducing affair with a gorgeous actress might be just the ticket, even if it’s the last thing he wants to do.

Though their juicy public relationship is less than perfect behind the scenes, it doesn’t take long before Grey and Ethan’s sizzling chemistry starts to feel like more than just an act. But after decades in a ruthless industry that requires bulletproof emotional armor to survive, are they too used to faking it to open themselves up to the real thing?

This book was so good! I loved the celebrity status of the main characters and the way they were brought together in this romance! This storyline had really sweet moments, steamy scenes, and also touched on difficult topics like grief, addiction, and toxic relationships. I found Grey to be a really likable female main character and I really enjoyed her interactions with Ethan. Although these characters were celebrities, I really connected with them and felt for them during tough times in this story. The age gap, fake dating, and grumpy/sunshine tropes were done so well!!! Ugh, I just loved this book! A must read for romance lovers!

This book has more depth than the premise or cover would lead you to believe. I really liked Grey as a character. She was vulnerable but also strong. Ethan’s struggles with the loss of his friend and alcoholism gave the Hollywood romance and overall book some much welcome and unexpected heft.

This book is really frustrating to review because the main characters were just so charming, but the actual structure of the book bothered me so much.

Grey and Ethan are funny, charming, flawed people and it was nice to see them grow and for that I alone I would love to give this book a higher rating, but the pacing was just too much of a mess for me to give this book anything higher than 3 stars. Things seemed to happen super quick in this book and there were so many time jumps I think I got whiplash. I think if Wilder would have allowed the plot some room to breathe and fleshed out some of the places where she "jumped" this would have been a stronger novel as a whole.

Synopsis:
He’s a very famous actor that’s been a recluse for years. She’s an up-and-coming actress whose been working since she was a kid. He’s a man that’s coming unhinged,- depressed, grieving, and battling addiction, but holding on to the hope of getting his special project out into the world. After her big show is canceled, she is waiting on her next big opportunity, if only someone would give her the chance. So when their agent coaxes them into a fake-dating PR stunt, Ethan and Grey’s public lives intertwine, and as they get to know each other, they are left to wonder if their futures will too.


Thoughts:
This story is GOLD. It’s one of the best-paced romance books that I have read! The burn is slow enough to let the tension build and the characters actually have time to enjoy getting to know one another. My favorite thing about this book is that the two main characters have independent storylines. More often than not in a romance, once the love interests get together, their personalities begin to merge and blur into one. However, Wilder did such a brilliant job at exploring these characters independently and how those flaws and storylines influence their relationship. I thought it delved below the surface, especially considering the context for Ethan’s storyline and experience. Much to my dismay, this situation of the fake-dating in Hollywood is not the most relatable experience for me… *gasp* I know, honestly, I'm just as shocked as you. I still think that this book does a good job of depicting the feelings and the ups/downs of what it is to fall in love, not only with another person but with yourself too!

On top of that, you get smut (I can’t even with their first kiss), fake dating, forced proximity, and an age gap story (which I don’t usually like, but most of the time with this book, you didn’t really notice) all taking place in the backdrop of Hollywood… honestly, what’s not to love!

I will say, I don’t know if I totally shipped the two characters together, which is why I gave it 4 stars. I did like them independently and it made me happy that they challenged each other to get better, but I think I wanted a bit more spunk from Grey sometimes because I thought she was almost too perfect at times. Something about them together did mesh with me fully, but I still LOVED this story!!

Thank you to Netgalley, Random House Publishing- Ballantine, and Ava Wilder for this copy in exchange for my review :)

*will be posting a review on my Bookstagram (@bookedatfirstsight), Goodreads, and Storygraph!

I devoured this book. I was genuinely surprised to find out that this was Ava Wilder's debut because it was stunning and instantly had me hooked. I will say that it was good that I didn't have a lot of expectations going into this book in regards to what genre I felt like I was reading, so I wasn't so thrown by the drama and the gravity of the topics that were explored in this book. There was so much character development in this book and while the romance between Grey and Ethan felt a little forced to me at times but the individual characterization of all the characters, even the side characters, made the book incredibly delightful. Fake dating isn't one of my favorite tropes but it definitely worked for this book.

TWs for the death of a loved one, abuse (also substance abuse), infidelity.

I can see myself recommending this book to others and I'm so thankful to have been able to read it before the release date! Thank you to Random House Ballantine and Dell and NetGalley for this ARC!