This one threw me a bit since the cover is so fun and breezy. It ended up being much more serious and more of a dramatic romance than a rom-com. I think at times it struggled a bit and got weighed down with it's heavy subject matter. It can be tricky to balance swoon and zip with the angst (the only one that is successful that comes to mind in recent releases is Seven Days in June). I didn't love it personally but could see those that like a good dose of angst in their romance. I honestly think it would do better as a movie or a show than a book.

How to Fake it in Hollywood is a great debut by Ava Wilder!
I actually thought this was going to be a romantic comedy but there was so much angst and drama and it definitely dealt with more serious subject matter than I anticipated. With that being said I really enjoyed these characters and their story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.

This is an absolutely delightful book. I laughed out loud reading it and loved the Hollywood details and in jokes. Any follower of celeb gossip will find lots to enjoy here with compelling characters who will have the reader rooting for them to get their happy ending.

I went into this book thinking it would be a fake dating story, but it turned out to be so much more. Ethan Atkins fell out of the spotlight after the death of his close friend and has been having a turbulent few years but now is ready to reemerge and start making films again. Grey Brooks just finished a long stint on a pretty popular TV show and now is prepared to try and break into the movie scene but keeps getting auditions for minor roles. Cut to their publicist planning to have them fake date so both would benefit from this partnership and get where they wanted to go in their career. They didn't expect to fall for each other for real.

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. While this book had cute romance moments (even though it was insta-love-like at times), it focused more on the internal struggles these two characters were facing. One of my favorite things added to the book was Ethan's ex-wife Nora and how much she cared about him and Grey and how they worked to create a supportive blended family. That's not something I've seen in these books, so I loved that addition. Wilder made all of these characters, including the side characters fully fleshed out and it really added to my enjoyment of the book. This was such a good debut novel from Wilder and I can't wait to see what they write next!

CW: Death of a friend, alcoholism, substance abuse, cheating, and abuse.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House-- Ballentine, and Dell for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Oh the drama! ⁣
⁣⁣
⁣While it’s cover is deceptively cute and suggests a fun light hearted read, How to Fake It in Hollywood is a angsty drama with a few romance troupes thrown in for good measure. ⁣
⁣⁣
⁣Two actors agree to a fake relationship in order to gain some great publicity, but find themself falling for each other. Unfortunately, they both have some baggage they need to deal with if they ever want their relationship to work. ⁣
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⁣This book was so much more than I expected. It’s sexy and heartbreaking all at once. I liked the characters and found myself staying up way too late to read. ⁣
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⁣Overall, I really liked How to Fake It in Hollywood and recommend it. Four stars! ⁣
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⁣Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for an ARC of How to Fake It in Hollywood. This book will publish on June 14, 2022.

3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rounded up.

I received an ARC of this book and I really enjoyed this one. I will say, it’s not a super bubbly romance. It definitely deals with darker storylines, mainly with substance abuse and death. I loved the character development for both Ethan and Grey. There was some steam 🔥 and a fake dating trope which are both my jam. Overall, I liked it a lot!

I loved this book more than I thought I was going too. Loved the concept of fake dating actors because it adds an interesting layer to the story.

I adored this book, it had the perfect mix of romance, steam, and pain but in the best possible way.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be set up with your very famous, very hunky, childhood crush? Well, in Ava Wilder's How to Fake It in Hollywood, young actress Grey Brooks is about to find out!

I really loved this book! The writing was fantastic and the plot was addictive. To be honest, I can get a bit bored of the fake dating trope, especially when it's not done well. Thankfully, Wilder did it very, very well. She created something totally wonderful that I’ll be recommending all summer long. There’s humor and romance, but How to Fake It in Hollywood is also angsty, steamy, and emotional. It was a lot deeper than I expected, but I think that's why I enjoyed it so much. I love a romance novel where characters work on themselves and don't just expect their lives to improve because they fall in love.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Ava Wilder for allowing me to be an early reader.

This is a story about the thin line between fake and real.  Grey Books was a rising star in Hollywood as one of the main characters on a popular teen TV show.  But that show recently concluded its long run and, ever since, Grey has struggled to find work.  So when her publicist reached out with the unusual suggestion that she enter into a fake relationship with Ethan Atkins, who used to be one of the biggest movie stars until he fell from grace a few years before, she is, surprising even to her, open to the suggestion.  

After a string of commercial and critical successes, including an Oscar, Ethan's longtime creative partner and best friend died and he fell apart, leading to a high-profile divorce, public struggles with drinking, and being fired from a high-profile project.  Ever since, Ethan has been a virtual recluse.  The publicist that he shares with Grey believes he needs to rehabilitate himself in the public eye if he wants to return to working and finally produce the last movie that he wrote with his best friend.

Neither Grey nor Ethan knows what to expect from the other and, at first, the arrangement is as awkward as they both feared.  But the more time they spend together, each realizes the other is more than what they assumed from first appearances.  And neither can deny the strong attraction for each other.  But after years of each putting up walls for different reasons, are Grey and Ethan open to letting each other in -- and explore what may be real between them?

This book was thoroughly enjoyable.  This is such a fun premise, and it is executed flawlessly.  Despite the high concept, the story and the characters feel very real.  The author does a terrific job of making it plausible that both Grey and Ethan would agree to the arrangement -- even as they each struggle, for different reasons, with the reality of living in a fake relationship.  Grey and Ethan are both fully realized characters.  It is clear why they are drawn to each other, although the author does not shy away from their flaws.  It also offers interesting perspectives on life in the public eye, and how it differs for women and men.

Very strongly recommended!

Stars: 5/5
Spice: 3/5

✅ Fake dating
✅ Past trauma
✅ Forced proximity

For me, this book was an instant 5 star rating. It was a fun read that was easy to digest but there were still things at stake for both characters which made me not want to put the book down.

Fake dating tropes can easily be cringe but this was handled perfectly. I love how Grey isn’t afraid to stand up for herself and isn’t intimidated at all to tell Ethan how it is. Wilder’s writing shines the most when Ethan and Grey finally open up to each other and you start learning more about their pasts. This book touches a few tough subjects which causes some ups and down for Grey and Ethan. However, I think these subjects really grounded the book and turned it from just a cute romance novel to a cute romance novel with some depth.

Rating: 4.5
Laughing Score: 0
Crying Score: 0
Pub Date: 6/14/2022

Thank you to Random House- Ballantine, Dell and NetGalley for a copy of this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The most shocking thing about this book is that it’s a debut novel - how?! This is probably one of the best debut novels I have ever read. As soon as my fellow #aotmbookclub girls started buzzing about this in their buddy read, I knew I had to request it and read it ASAP.

I liked this book very early on, like within the first few chapters I had a feeling that this book was gonna be great. The main characters were far from perfect, but they weren’t immature or hard to like, they felt like real people with real problems. I also felt like this storyline could be very realistic with celebrities since so many things we hear in the news sound like PR stunts.

This book has a lot of tropes and the way they are all intertwined is a masterpiece. There’s an age gap romance, fake dating, second chance, ONE BED and many more. I felt like I wanted to devour this book, and was really invested in the characters. I will say that this book does have some serious elements woven in, so I’d recommend checking the content warnings if you are looking for a light hearted romance because this is not one.

Have you heard of any real life fake dating couples? The only rumor that comes to mind is Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise lol.

I am not joking when i tell you that i was taken on a whirlwind of surprise and love with How To Fake It.

Ethan and Grey. ETHAN AND GREY.

I love books set in the world of famous people because i am NOT a famous person (shock!) so pretending to be in that world is so much fun.

I was surprised by the deep topics, the dark feelings, fears, and addictions in this one. It’s not your usual fun and flirty easy breezy beautiful cover girl book.

How To Fake It is a journey of love, healing and believing again. I loved the way Ethan and Grey overcome the obstacles that present themselves in their individual lives and their relationship. Nothing felt rushed or unreal. Everything happened in due time

i love, love, LOVED. and yes, i have now added Ava Wilder to my list of auto-buy authors.

TW: alcoholism, grief, drug abuse
Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this book! This book was really good. I found myself empathizing with both main characters. There is so much more than meets the eye to this book. I wish there were more parts of the book that illustrated the love between one another, their chemistry fell off toward the end of the book.

Overall, this book was unexpected in the best way.

Genre: romcom, fake dating trope
Pub date: 6/14/22
In one sentence: Grey Brooks' TV show has just been canceled, and her next move is a fake relationship with struggling A-lister Ethan Atkins.

Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes, and the celebrity romance angle intrigued me. Grey won me over from the beginning - she's been hurt in love before and is wondering how to move forward in her career - I love characters that are on the precipice of something new like this. Ethan was a bit of a puzzle, and I enjoyed the journey he took to open up to Grey and deal with his demons. Both characters felt real - and that's what makes a fake dating plot work. I also liked the balance of steam, banter, and emotional connection between these two.

If you enjoy fake dating or Hollywood stories, this book is a whole lot of fun! 4.5 stars rounded to 5.

Thank you to Ballantine Books for providing an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I always love a good fake dating trope, which is why I requested a copy of this book. I was expecting a typical rom-com, but this one is surprisingly angsty and I lived for the drama!

4/5 stars

Thank you to Ballantine and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

eBook provided for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"How to Fake it in Hollywood" by Ava Wilder on paper is the book I didn't know I wanted to read. Grumpy male lead. A woman taking control of her career. A "marriage" of convenience .... ok they just fake dating, but still checks the right boxes for the trope. Hollywood glamour. Basically the soap opera plotline of my dreams. But ultimately, I finished it feeling like something was missing.

Don't get me wrong — I still 100% recommend this to readers interested by the synopsis. You really won't be disappointed in the drama and the relationship. The conclusion is where this one falls just a bit short for me. Grey and Ethan's breakup was swift and felt like it came late in the book. I was really wondering how Wilder would wrap everything up with how many pages I had left. She does it, but I felt like we weren't giving enough insight into exactly HOW Ethan changed. I know it's a romance novel, but him just going off-page and becoming better for Grey just felt so unrealistic and a little too Hollywood. Maybe I'm wanting too much for "How to Fake it in Hollywood."

Either way, I can't wait to see "How to Fake it in Hollywood" in stores later this summer and to share it with all my friends and followers.

Thank you to Random House Ballantine and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this before publishing!

This was an easy 4.5 stars, despite it not being exactly what I expected. This has a very fun, popular trope right from the get go: fake dating, but make it celebrities. Ava Wilder’s first book doesn’t read at all like a debut, she has the skill of a very seasoned writer. The characters in this book were so realistic, it felt like they could walk right off the page. The way she brought in various spins on real-life celebrities and media was so fun. I really adores Grey as a character, and I felt she was so relatable despite being literally famous.

It becomes pretty evident, pretty fast, that this isn’t going to be an entirely light hearted, steamy, fake dating rom com. Ethan, our MMC, is facing some very real problems. He is drowning in grief, and battling an evident substance use problem. The author doesn’t shy away from this subject, or make light of it in casting his recovery to look easier and cleaner than it is in real life. She also doesn’t let the story get so bogged down in the weight of these issues to keep it from being fun and light hearted. Another thing that I completely adored was the inclusion of a supportive, blended greater family that Grey and Ethan are able to find in Ethan’s ex-wife. I realize that divorce isn’t always so pretty, but the world doesn’t need any more stories about petty, vengeful, toxic ex-partners than it always has. Ethan’s ex wife wholly supports him, shows up as his friend, and welcomes Grey into their lives with open arms. I thought this was an AMAZING example to set, and I’d love to see more of it in fiction.

I can see rom-com lovers being disappointed in the chemistry between these two. It’s there, don’t get me wrong. But it’s not the toe-curling, butterflies in your stomach, on fire feeling I think a lot of rom com readers crave. It is, however, a very artfully written story with a beautiful ending. The steam is there, but not scorching or too frequently revisited. I enjoyed this a bunch, and will keep an eye out for releases from this author in the future!

By far one of my favorite reads of this year! The fake dating trope was perfect and I loved the character development with Ethan and Grey. The slow burn was everything! I loved the banter and the steamy scenes were perfectly steamy. The sIt was a perfect story and such a fun read!

If I did not have kids I would have read this book in one sitting. This book hit me just like The Deal by Elle Kennedy did. I was expecting a fun book about celebs fake dating. I got that AND well developed characters, excellent banter, solid emotional beats, and realistic character growth. Grey is a confident self possessed woman who has a habit of using her quick wit as a defense mechanism. Ethan is a bit of a mess who is still dealing (or not dealing) with the grief surrounding the death of his best friend. Their relationship whether fake or real is not easy, but the instant attraction they both feel is all the spark they need. Definitely check this book out in June, especially fans of The Deal!